tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post4402855443107006587..comments2024-03-28T22:32:50.562+00:00Comments on Liberal England: Nothing I learnt in school mathematics after the age of 12 has been of use to me sinceJonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-50699353143665870732020-10-26T21:45:38.155+00:002020-10-26T21:45:38.155+00:00Anonymous: I have certainly used lots of arithmeti...Anonymous: I have certainly used lots of arithmetic, but I was sharp at that before I got to secondary school.Jonathan Calderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-74747147827204411372020-10-26T21:12:14.971+00:002020-10-26T21:12:14.971+00:00A typical Irish education up to school leaving age...A typical Irish education up to school leaving age includes probability & statitistics in additional to arithmetic, trig, algebra, etc.<br /><br />And I don't believe we are some exceptional outlier.<br /><br />Why would one have to choose between these basic topics?<br /><br />Whilst I find it difficult to believe that you have never referred back to any arithmetic, trig, algebra subsequently that is slightly aside from the point. I haven't been required to understand formation of ox-bow lakes, to know about the diurnal activities of medieval monks but I don't regret learning these things...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-68424373771606137562020-10-26T19:43:14.413+00:002020-10-26T19:43:14.413+00:00Refresher for MPs? Forty years ago(we were soldie...Refresher for MPs? Forty years ago(we were soldiers once and young...), I was a young economic counsellor at the Québec National Assembly in Canada and was tasked to give such refresher to newly elected MNAs. I had barely begun nwhen the most senior of the group (Oxford and Harvard MBA), rose up , exclaimed: "A deficit is a deficit isn'tit ?" and left the room.Then the member from the poorest riding (a small time housebuilder) said :"I am a businessman and I know economic", left followed by the others. Even the whip was not powerful enough to make them learn anything.Jacques René Giguèrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08044522160459914143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-61115901137753944412020-10-26T16:05:01.492+00:002020-10-26T16:05:01.492+00:00Perhaps some mandatory basic training and refreshe...Perhaps some mandatory basic training and refreshers for all elected MPs. We could call it Continuous Professional Development (and extend it to at least upper-tier councillors)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14163641253237973139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-11644766696778792992020-10-26T09:37:14.207+00:002020-10-26T09:37:14.207+00:00He was lucky to get a first, imagine his difficult...He was lucky to get a first, imagine his difficulty understanding any higher number?Neville Farmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09537782757201585503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-3182952067505950632020-10-26T08:13:38.909+00:002020-10-26T08:13:38.909+00:00I do think some understanding of basic statistics ...I do think some understanding of basic statistics is essential to enable people in elected office who have to make decisions involving evaluating numbers. Especially that point about the difference between mean and median.<br /><br />Bradley's degree (according to Wiki) was a 1st from Nottingham Trent - wonder how really difficult that is....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-25093961677179678412020-10-25T22:57:46.977+00:002020-10-25T22:57:46.977+00:00Bradley has a degree in Politics, apparently achie...Bradley has a degree in Politics, apparently achievable without any knowledge of statistics. <br /><br />Having dropped out twice before getting that one the mode of his university achievement is to leave without taking a degree. <br /><br />In my more cynical moments I think that maybe the country would benefit from banning anyone with a Politics or PPE degree from elected office. A Rambling Duckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06066876672807109034noreply@blogger.com