I received this email from a Chair of Governors of a London Primary School this week.
No wonder we have issues with girls and STEM if ten year old children are already seeing girls stereotyped as “getting maths wrong” 😦
This should not be happening now in 2019!
How can we get a copy of the test paper?
I’m Chair of Governors of a Primary School and the Head asked me to observe the administration of one of the SATS. So this morning I was there for Mathematics 2. ( I think it is called “Reasoning”).
One question involved a drawing of a child who was making a mathematical statement. Pupils had to explain why that statement was wrong.
A second question showed a problem accompanied by a drawing of a child giving the answer. Pupils had to say why that answer was wrong.
In both cases the child who was wrong was a girl. I think there was only one drawing of a boy and that was neutral. (e.g. John has £10. He spends etc.) Every state school year six child in England, who sat that paper this morning, saw the stereotype of girls who can’t do maths.
I have asked my Head to complain, if Heads are given that opportunity, and I am working out to whom I should write.
Obviously I don’t have the paper, as all spare copies have to be accounted for, but if what I am saying can be verified, it would be terrific if the Academic Maths and Computing Community “kicked up a fuss”.
