Mumsnet Talk

My dd (10) loves maths. However, she is now the only girl in top set for maths in her class. All of her friends tell her that she cannot be good at maths because she is a girl . The other boys tell her the same.

This week they had a maths enrichment lesson and only the boys in her set got to go. I went to talk to her teacher about this and she told me she assumed that dd would not want to go. I asked why and she said "well I thought english might be more her thing she is a girl". . Am I alone in finding this odd. This attitude is starting to grind dd down.

Are all schools like this about girls and maths ? To be fair it does seem to have only come up this year.

Did the teacher really say that? Incredible!

I would have blown a gasket if a teacher seriously came out with tripe like that.

Never heard such rubbish and I was a good mathematician at a mixed school in the olden days.

It's not odd, it is criminal.

No DD was the 2nd best in her class in primary and used to go on to the G&T days and extention classes. I didn't even have this wehen I was at school and I was one of the best at maths in my year group at secondary

i can't believe a teacher would say that!

especially if she's shown aptitude for it.


i'd be tempted to tell the teacher where to stick it.


girls can be good at whatever they are good at!

(i am excellent in the mathematical field )

this is why girls and boys shouldn't be educated together.

What on earth is a maths enrichment' session?

Yes she did to be honest I was blown away by it really. Like you say I didn't experience that even when I was at school. I will go back in and have a word I think. I was good at maths myself - have to be with my job. I was so speechless when she said it that I had to leave or I would have exploded

Absolutely not. That is totally unacceptable. I am

Teachers have to promote equal opportunity in all areas - and on those grounds you can complain to the Head.

The worst thing that can happen is that she starts believing this tripe.

My Dd loves maths, she is 12, my mother's degree was from Cambridge in Maths. I am at maths but that has nothing to do with gender!

I would go straight to the Head. Absolutely not on.

The teacher's attitidue stinks and belongs in the 50's. I hope you made it clear that she was very wrong.

My dd is in the top set for maths and I loved maths at school. Was pretty good too. Would have have done better if hadn't snogged SS behind the shelves some days.

dreadful! And a self fulfilling prophecy
I went to the mixed 6th form of a boys' school and was the only one doing further maths at A level in my year

Keepo -
maths teacher male or female?
Would they have attended UK school in the past 30-40 years?
I just can't imagine where this has sprung from, makes no sense.

Stealth that is the thing I think there are lots of girls that are really good at maths and they do start believing this tripe about it not being a girls subject. Maths was part of my degree and I was often the only girl in the lectures.

I think you are all right I will go to the head.

What?! No! I have never heard such absolute rubbish!

I would be furious and I would most definately complain, too.

It was a woman aged about 40 ish which makes it worse. I think if it had been a man I would have really got angry straight away. Somehow I couldn't really register that she had actually said it until I went away, it seemed so odd.

at least she suggested english rather than cookery or sewing but still

Right, I am going in to see the head in the morning you have all given me strength - thank you.

Stealth, she does run the sewing club actually

go back and explode.

i would have been livid. go straight to the head, and tell him/ her in no uncertain terms that if your daughter is discriminated agsinst further in her education because of her gender, you will be going to the lea/ daily mail/ court of european human rights.

i would put it in writing too.

i used to get similar tosh for being able to run lol (which isn't anywhere near as useful as being a skilled mathematician, unless you are being chased by bears). the boys used to accuse me of cheating. ho hum.

i am absolutely seething on your behalf.

chased by bears

I just tole my dd what you have all said and she is a much happier girl. I will explode in the morning.

<bangs head repeatedly on table>

My friend had this experience at school. If she'd had the inclination to go within a 100 miles of her old secondary maths teacher she'd have rammed her 1st class honours maths degree certificate up his arse. But she had better things to do, like spending her 6 figure salary.

Her (maths lecturer) mother had to insist that the teacher put her forward for Higher Maths, but that was 30 years ago. I absolutely despair that this is still going on.

Is this in the UK???

<living in canada emoticon>

<still haven't seen one though...>

yes in the uk