An Appeal

Extract

Several members of the Association expressed their conviction, at the General Meeting and at the subsequent Dinner, that there should be more articles in the Gazette, and more papers read at the Meetings, on the purely pedagogic side of mathematics. It is right and necessary that the general development of the various branches of our Science should not be lost sight of in an organ such as the Gazette, and the reader must be kept in touch by reviews with what is being done in school text-books both at home and elsewhere. But the special aims of the Association (and the object of the Gazette is to secure by publicity the realisation of those aims), is to improve the teaching of our subject in our schools. With this view the Editor is in cordial agreement. He asks the readers of the Gazette to come to his assistance in the matter, to propose subjects for discussion, to offer papers, to ventilate their special difficulties in a “ Question and Answer “ column, in short to do for the Gazette what no Editor can do single-handed. If this proposal is taken up with any vigour by our readers, it should be quite possible to arrange for the regular appearance in the Gazette of a series of Symposia, consisting of (1) articles from the pens of its members and (2) a general summing up of the pros and cons of the points at issue by an authority who combines academic distinction with teaching experience. The latter is easy to find. It is the former who as yet have not come to the front in our Association. The Council has said in the Annual Report that this last year has been a quiet year. We are not sure that this may not be meant for a piece of biting criticism, suggesting that though more remains to be done we have not done it. Be that as it may, we appeal to the readers of the Gazette for their cordial co-operation in providing the material for such discussions as are indicated above. Apart from our differences as to detail in the processes of teaching, there are many other topics which should be of interest to the majority as well as to special groups of our members. Those who are engaged in Preparatory Schools should be glad to expound their views of what is feasible with boys of the age with which they deal, and the Public School Teachers of Mathematics should be glad to indicate the lines along which training should proceed, and any way of improving the preparation of the boys who are ultimately to come under their care. The fairness of the papers set at the various examinations, and their strict adherence to the official syllabus may also prove a fruitful subject of discussion.