Question

is there any way that you can add subjects that are studied in one's country but not anywhere else? I.E: in South Africa, we have two subjects that I'm pretty sure no other country has, its Maths lit(literacy) and C.A.T(Computer Applications Technology)

Answer 1

Well, you can ask your Maths lit in the Mathematics section and the C.A.T questions in the Computer Science section.

Answer 2

even if maths lit is different to normal maths?

Answer 3

Yeah, you could.

Answer 4

Mathematics, as a topic, covers all forms of mathematics, as sub groups. There is a lot of overlap, and some things end up in different places. For example, a lot of basic triangular trigonometry gets taught in geometry classes. That does not suddenly make it geometry and it does not mean that class is no longer math.

I looked at this site:
http://www.mathsexcellence.co.za/resources_maths_lit.html
They have a PDF at the top that covers the topics in the classes. It is a bunch of this stuff:

\(\bullet\quad\)Work with and apply the concepts:
\(\quad\bullet\quad\)ratio/proportion and percentage and rate.
\(\quad\bullet\quad\)Determine input and output values for formulae (solve equations).
\(\quad\bullet\quad\)Determine and plot the points for different graphs.

That looks like normal Mathematics to me!

And Computer Applications Technology sounds a lot like Computer Applications or Business Computer Applications. Those two classes teach people how to use programs like Office. While these are not strictly Computer Science, they are close enough that we use that topic for them. I agree with AMQ that your CAT would happily find a home there.

Answer 5

maths lit is not really normal maths, it uses none of what you mention @e.mccormick , maths lit is like 0,1% geometry, 0% trig, 99,99% everyday maths that people use E.G: finance(bank statements, electricity tariffs, cellphone bills, etc) go to www.viaafrika.com and look for CAPS grade 10 mathematical literacy

Answer 6

it should show you what it is

Answer 7

"it uses none of what you mention" 100% Wrong. What I listed is DIRECTLY from the South African standard on what Maths Literacy covers. It was not from me, it was from the people that teach Maths Lit in South Africa and determine what it covers.

Anyone that says that Maths Literacy is not Mathematics is wrong. Now, if they say it is not Pure Mathematics or not Standard Grade Mathematics, they are right. However, all of those are mathematics. The reason why is because there is one and only one mathematics. What these are sub groupings comprise of are how it is organized and what topics are chosen.

When they pick a different focus all they are selecting are the parts of that one math that are chosen, for what reasons, and how. They do not change the laws of mathematics. They do change how they are presented, what order, and what topics are given the most focus. So this is in no way a new mathematics.

Let me give you some other examples. Proofs for much of math were redone in Calculus. There were things that had been taken as given, but were not clearly proven until Calculus. Does that mean Calculus caused a completely new mathematical system? No. It just clarified and refined things. Now lets look at how tons of people in construction use trigonometry. They are given construction rules, calculations that find certain lengths automatically, conversion charts, and so on. They don't even learn trigonometry, but they use all these tools to do work that is doing just that. In both these cases, you can use the formula for the volume of a sphere without knowing the calculus that proves it is right or the trigonometry that shows the relationships of that sphere to triangular shapes.

Statistics is largely based in calculus. But you do not need to learn calculus to be able to use basic statistics. The same is true of any continuous compounding, like a mortgage calculation.

Here is America we teach both of those things, statistics and finance, in what we call Business Math. Again, it is not a whole new mathematics. It is just a way to organize parts of algebra as it relates to these topics and teach practical applications.

Personally, I think the entire push for every high school student to learn Calculus is wrong. Statistics, in my mind, is a much better goal. Every branch of science uses both Calculus and Statistics. However, every person, scientist or not, is faced with problems that statistics can help with. Choices in an uncertain world can be more clear with the application of statistics and that is as true for a farmer as it is for a factory worker as it is for a scientist.

Look at news, from South Africa, about Pure Maths vs Maths Literacy
http://www.careersportal.co.za/news/3190-pure-maths-vs-maths-literacy.html

This goes along with what I am saying. Maths Literacy is mathematics. It is just not the same set of classes as say Pure Mathematics.

Answer 8

what is calculus to us? is it another name for mathematics. if you had noticed, our standards of education in South Africa is horrendous, the government can't even deliver textbooks to Limpopo without making excuses, literally, the ANC has messed the nation up starting with one Thabo Mbeki. Secondly, I'm in a private school and my school follows the IEB system, and some other schools follow CAPS (I think its the government, and public schools)

Answer 9

Well, if you are lucky enough to have internet access, and I know that is not a given in South Africa, you have access to a lot of online resources, including free books.

And there is room for improvement in most educational systems. You are not alone in that.