to think this was an unfair way to select children

[3boys40]

Given a number between 2 and 12 starting at the front of class. Than rolling a dice to select said children. You would think a maths teacher should know that gives certain children an unfair advantange. My poor ds who sits at the the front had no chance with 2.

it was to be pupils in a class for the children moving up during a potential new student evening. Never mind he will go to cubs tonight and I will go to new intake evening with ds2.

Ooh, AMIS, might well be right, I thought it was one of those circs where oder wasn't important.

But maths was a veh long toime ago for me.

I expect the teacher does not understand probability. As this thread demonstrates only a small minority of people in the UK can do basic maths hence the problem with recruiting suitable maths teachers. A student I know was informed recently by their maths teacher that the chance of winning any prize at all on the lottery was 1 in 14,000,000. Looks like I'll be paying out for some private tuition for my kids...

As a maths teacher, this thread makes me super sad!
The number 7 has a 6 in 36 chance (or 1 in 6 chance) of being selected with two dice. The number 2 only has a 1 in 36 chance.
My 15 year old students struggle with this concept sometimes, so of course we play games where I win if 7 comes up and they win if 2 comes up. They soon come around

I have no recollection of being taught any probability at all in school maths, and I carried on with until 6th Year studies (A2 equivalent). It wasn't till I got taught about statistics at university that anyone actually explained this stuff, but it made such perfect sense when they did bother to take us through it that it really stuck in my brain.

I guess it is in the syllabus now (and it maybe was when I was at school too) but I'm not sure that it gets really well explained or really well understood. It's one of those 'concepts' I think, that turns your brain inside out and gives it a good shake!

not surprisingly those who gained a place were mainly those who had between 6 and 9.

op I think it was really un fair too
My ds loves maths and he would be disappointed too

it is the only subject he loves and excels at. Still open evening is tonight so not much can be done about it now.

I suspect the teacher was hoping someone would point out it wasn't fair. It's unlikely he wouldn't know this. I think it is level 5 or 6 in the nc.

i think the person who got 12 did say something to the teacher but she just brushes his protests off.

i think I may be having a word with her this evening as ds is still upset. He is a sensitive soul.

Yes do bring it up. I think it's important.

'Was also recently not picked for a more able programme despite being on a higher level than a child who was.'

This happened to my DD a couple of years ago - she was selected and the activities focussed largely on literacy, but her best friend wasn't selected. I queried it and the activities were only for children in the top 10% for every subject - their criteria for gifted and talented. I wonder whether the same could be true in this case? At least if there's a reason other than favouritism it might be less frustrating.

My DD is/was towards the bottom of the top 10% in every subject and her best friend was much better at literacy but struggled with maths.

Do you need to count 4and2 as well as 2and4, etc

AMumInScotland is right - you can get a 4 on the first die and a 2 on the other or a 2 on the first and 4 on the other. They are different events.

I'm a maths teacher - I often use this in lessons to introduce combinations. I'm pretty sure he knew, I think he was just being lazy.

I'd definitely mention it as well. Probably print off the sheet people showed above in case you can't get your point across well enough and suggesting names in hats, random number generator (phone app - easy peasy) or some puzzles/tests and people with the highest score win, for next time!

you are probably right million Just seemed odd as it is maths specific.

o and on the tour we weren't taken to the maths classroom. convenient hey. well not the one with ds's teacher.

What would have been fair was to split the class in 2. Group 1 throws the die and the highest number goes through to the semi finals same with group 2.

Then the 2 highest rolls the die the highest wins.

3 boys, it's tough, but it's a good life lesson. If your DS is that arsed he'll soon learn to speak up or charm the teacher into getting his what he wants.

Slightly off topic but in response to a pp "dice" is given in the dictionary as a "long established and perfectly acceptable" word for the singular object.

That does seem unfair but I would try and brush it off to your ds. I understand though that sometimes it can feel like your child is never picked. Im the same with my dd. Also overlooked for most things including more able courses despite her teacher telling me she has the highest level in her year on 2 core subjects. But my theory is that its because I work in school and they are trying to avoid being accused of favouritism. Either way is not fair. All children should be treated equally regardless of whether parents work in school, complain, are governors etc etc

Select them for what? Maybe the point was to find out that some numbers had a better chance?

Sometimes MN provides a glimpse into another reality.

they were selected for the open evening though aherd based on this unfair system.