Christmas maths question backlash

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Kornhub

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Cape Town - Does Christmas Day fall on December 25? Matriculants who were able to answer this question correctly scored two points in their maths literacy exam last year.

The question was asked to test the pupils’ ability to use probability to predict outcomes in real life situations, Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga said.

Last year, 87.4 percent of grade 12 pupils passed maths literacy.

Peter Smith of the IFP asked Motshekga in a parliamentary question whether she thought the question served “any mathematical purpose”. The question read: “State whether the following event is certain, most likely or impossible: Christmas Day is on December 25 in South Africa.”

Motshekga said the question assessed the concept of “probability” and therefore did serve a mathematical purpose.

She said that because the statement “Christmas Day is on 25 December in South Africa” was true and its probability was 100 percent, it could be expressed as “certain”.

There was an outcry last year when it was revealed this question had been asked.
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http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...aths-question-backlash-1.1501275#.UW2Dtco8sro

:erm:
 
State whether the following event is certain, most likely or impossible: Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga is an incompetent ****head?

This question assesses the concept of “probability” and therefore does serve a mathematical purpose.
 
I disagree with the article and headline. The question does indeed query a mathematical concept. Granted its an easy question, but that being said, it's maths lit in SA.

The question was not "when was Christmas" and you don't get 2 marks for knowing when it was. You get two marks for understanding the difference between a possibility and a certainty.
 
They should have asked if xmas falls on the 25 of dec 2012, on what date will it fall in 2013

24, 26 or that is a ****ing stupid question.
 
Sinbad said:
The question was not "when was Christmas" and you don't get 2 marks for knowing when it was. You get two marks for understanding the difference between a possibility and a certainty.
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Seriously ?

This is a matric question ?

State whether the following event is certain, most likely or impossible: Christmas Day is on December 25 in South Africa.”
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Grade 3s could answer that 99 out of 100 times.
 
The problem, I assume, is that without observing a Christian holiday, you can not answer that question. Religious reference should never be included in a maths paper in my opinion.
 
I think the answer is most likely. Nothing is absolutely certain. If madiba dies on 25 December I am sure it will be renamed :-P
 
2012 said:
The problem, I assume, is that without observing a Christian holiday, you can not answer that question. Religious reference should never be included in a maths paper in my opinion.
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It's a public holiday not a Christian holiday. It's inclusive of everyone.
 
Sinbad said:
It's a public holiday not a Christian holiday. It's inclusive of everyone.
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It could seen as refering to the religious observation instead of the public holiday depending on how you read it, but let me clear it up - it is a silly argument to make, im only speculating why people are backlashing as the article doesnt say (or I missed it)
 
2012 said:
It could seen as refering to the religious observation instead of the public holiday depending on how you read it, but let me clear it up - it is a silly argument to make, im only speculating why people are backlashing as the article doesnt say (or I missed it)
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People are back lashing because they think the question asks "when is Christmas" which is a bit too easy even for an SA maths lit matric exam.
 
This must be seen in context. It is one very easy question worth two marks in a paper that probably counted out of several hundred marks. A balanced paper at school level should contain one or two extremely easy questions.
 
Humberto said:
This must be seen in context. It is one very easy question worth two marks in a paper that probably counted out of several hundred marks. A balanced paper at school level should contain one or two extremely easy questions.
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It's Maths Lit - the whole thing is easy.
 
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