Maths A Level - Dd can't keep up with the Asian Students

[Etainagain]

Dd 17 is in her first year of A Level Maths. She attended state school up to the end of Year 11 and got an A* for her Maths GCSE. Maths was always something she enjoyed and she didn't need to put much work in to get a good grade. Dd was awarded an academic scholarship at an independent school which has a high number of Asian students. In her opinion, the Asian students are about three years ahead of the UK students (for science subjects also). There are 12 students in her Maths group and more than half of them are Asian (Chinese, Thai and Korean). Dd is really struggling at the moment. She said the teacher is hopeless and cannot work out most of the problems himself, let alone explain how to do them to the UK students. Mostly, the Asians work out the answers and then teach the teacher and the English kids how to do it. Dd feels that her teacher doesn't put in any effort because he doesn't need to. The Asian students are guaranteed top grades without any input from him. She really wants to get a good grade and is angry that, in her words, he 'doesn't give a damn'. One lesson he produced a list of questions and a girl asked whether he had made them up himself to which he replied 'of course not, you don't think I'd go to that much effort, do you?' I told him that Dd is not happy to be currently working at a Grade C and asked what she could do to improve. He didn't seem that bothered and said that she could attend the maths clinics at lunchtimes, but she said it is pointless because if he can't explain things in class then he won't be able to explain them in a clinic. He also suggested using My Maths, but Dd doesn't like that site.

Now, I'm wondering whether the real issue is that there is a huge jump between Edexcel GCSE and OCR Maths A Level (not sure whether there is a difference in boards, or whether OCR favours the Indie kids who did IGCSEs) and that Dd would struggle regardless of the teacher? Is A Level Maths something that she could teach herself? Does she just need to put more effort in? If it is the teaching that is weak, should I complain and how can I do so in a way that maintains good relations? Maybe the teacher has a difficult job dealing with such different levels of understanding in the class? Dd hates Maths now and is thinking of dropping it. It is VERY disappointing for her.

Etain, the fact is that she is where she is. Frankly there will be a sea of Europeans, South Asians, et al banging home further what you attribute currently to East Asians, should she consider doing Maths beyond school.

For the average student, there is nothing asked at AS and A2 that cannot be 'mastered' by self study, even before the days of online support resources. As for teacher competence, you chose the school, and while there is always some tinkering possible, you chose to accept their educational judgements. it is the same school that deemed her suitable for sixth form Maths, over the multitude of options suitable for dentistry.

If she likes the subject, she should work a little better, as an investment for her future. Closing down, by refusing clinics and online resources, will ensure disappointment. Nothing needs to be easy, just doable. Achievement, and confidence, are all within her gift. Having more accomplished peers is an advantage. Think how much better it is to be dragged upwards, than the solitude and tedium of dragging others along.

Maryso good point actually about it being better to have more accomplished peers. If the class was moving too slowly and she was ahead of the others, she would probably be complaining more.

There's been a change of attitude for the better since I posted on here. I told her that I'd asked for advice about this on MN and that the general consensus seems to be that she has to try the strategies her teacher has suggested, and even if he isn't the best teacher, she has no other option but to get on with it. The chances of the school giving the class another teacher are practically zero and so she just has to teach herself. This blunt approach seems to have worked.

I emailed her all the website addresses recommended on this thread. Initially said that she wouldn't have time to plough through them all, but last night I found her teaching herself maths on one of the websites suggested (physicsandmathstutor.com) which she said is fantastic! She also really likes the other sites suggested and I'm sensing a little more positivity on her part. I just hope it continues!

That's excellent news.

I spend more time than I'd like trying to persuade a teen that they need to take more responsibility for their learning - glad to see it's worked for someone else.

Etain, that's great to hear. The more control she feels, and it looks as if that is starting to happen, the faster she will get there. Possible a valuable lesson for life, if only the toll on we mothers were less, while they're at it...

Well I was absolutely delighted to see her working so hard last night. She was up until after 11 teaching herself and she seemed really proud of her achievements. I do hope that this is a turning point because she needs to develop her independent learning skills if she is to have any chance of success with A levels/HE.

I'm just so pleased that I turned to MN for some wise advice about this! Huge thanks to you all.

That's brilliant etain. Its great she's found some determination and motivation to get the problem sorted. I hope the school can sort out things better on their end too. Really good luck to her.

Fantastic, news.
Do try and get her to go to the Maths clinic, at the very least she can show the teacher what she has been doing online.

Really good to hear Etain, well done to her

Great news Etain and well done to your DD for kicking it up a notch.

BUT I would still be having a word with school and possibly trying to make a collective complaint with other unhappy parents. I think the maths teacher sounds like a prick tbh and the way he is speaking to his pupils isn't appropriate. He sounds really unprofessional in just about every way.

I can only speak for Korean kids as I used to live there, but they attended school in the city I lived in between 8am and 5pm and then practically all of them attended English tuition or math tuition, or something else educational until about 10pm. Then they did homework.

Korean kids are quite advanced by our standards, but because their childhoods are academically drilled, stress-filled and completely devoid of enjoyment.

It's amazing what one experience of successfully learning something independently can do. It sounds as if the teacher is at sea tbh, I hope they change things at school but it sounds as if your DD has learned something important already.