Mathematics

Beyond these utilitarian aspects of mathematics, however, lies its true nature, which is essentially the study of patterns and abstract structures. Any school whose aim is to enable its students to be leading global citizens, expert analysts of their world, and initiators of change for the benefit of humanity, must not succumb to, and indeed must resist, any superficial clamour for so-called usefulness in mathematics education. The proper rationale for teaching mathematics in schools, and particularly at Scotch, surely lies elsewhere. It is that, in so doing, we are teaching boys to reason, to value logical argument, to eradicate contradictions where they exist, to identify and exploit similarities in structure, to analyse quantitative information critically, and ultimately to be adaptable and creative enough to solve a vast range of problems, both practical and theoretical, across all fields of human endeavour. These are the characteristics of history’s greatest mathematicians, and all our teaching should challenge each student to appreciate and exemplify them, to the highest level of which he is capable.