I had the opportunity today to go meet my daughter's teacher. In the meeting, I was given her recent maths test, for which she had received a C+ grade. I thought she was a bit smarter than that, so was a little surprised. I flicked through it, she made some dumb mistakes (gets that from her Dad I'm sure), but there was one question in particular that stood out....
An apple costs 45 cents.
An orange costs 30 cents.
Estimate how much an apple and and orange costs.
My daughter's answer was 75 cents.
She was marked incorrectly.
I queried that, seeing that 45 cents plus 30 cents does in fact equal 75 cents. Before querying it, I did re-check myself. I'm happy to question authority, but like to make sure I'm right (or at least think I am) before doing so. Yep, an apple for 45c plus an orange for 30c should cost 75c.
"Hey teacher. Can you look at this question?"
"Oh yeah, she got that wrong."
"What? 75c is the correct answer."
"Yes, but she was supposed to estimate..."
What in the actual F@#$#K??
I started boiling inside. If a mistake is made, then own it. My daughter made mistakes in this test. I don't believe she made a mistake here. The teacher's opinion is that an estimate shouldn't have a correct answer. She should have answered either 70c or 80c, or even $1.
To make matters worse, my wife is next to me. She is a grade 3 teacher. Not just a grade three teacher, but a teacher in the school my daughter goes to. In fact, the teacher in the room next door to my daughter's class. She and my daughter's teacher both went into defensive mode.
"Oh the test means she needed to round her answer. It's been removed for next year. We thought it wasn't right, so we're removing it next year. Lots of kids got it wrong."
What? Is it just me, or is a correct answer a correct answer?
I let it go in the classroom, it wasn't the right occasion to continue, and we had limited time. But the drive home, it continued. My wife wants it to be let go. I can let it go. Or can I? Should I?
Part of me wants to write an email to the principal, the school board, the local member, the minister for education; and whomever else should be fired from their jobs for letting this kind of indefensible mistake get through to the students. Part of me is livid.
On the other hand, part of me doesn't have the energy. And a (somewhat smart) part of me doesn't want to basically make this an attack on all the teachers defending this question, including my wife.
This question was written into the curriculum by some unnamed person or committee. That's the defence from the teachers I've spoken to. But, the blind follow, the visionaries make their own path.
I'm a teacher (of sorts, not in school). If I'm told to teach something that I know is wrong, I don't. Simple. Surely school teachers would do the same right? Not let 8 year olds think they're wrong when they're not.
I can feel this is devolving into a rant, but my final words. I know my own personality. If I'm right, and I know it, but someone tells me I'm not. I'll ignore them. I no longer have respect for them on that topic. Is that normal?
Anyway. curious on other's thoughts on this.