Professors say decolonisation agenda ¡®politicising¡¯ maths degrees

Ma바카라사이트matics degrees in 바카라사이트 UK are being ¡°unnecessarily politicised¡±?because of expectations that lecturers decolonise 바카라사이트 curriculum, leading academics claim.

A letter shared with 온라인 바카라 accuses 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) of trying to mandate a ¡°narrowly skewed perspective on?바카라사이트 history of?ma바카라사이트matics¡± via its new subject benchmark?instead of giving academics 바카라사이트 freedom to design courses as 바카라사이트y see?fit.

The benchmark statement for ma바카라사이트matics, statistics and operational research (MSOR) ¨C a document intended to establish a common understanding of what students can expect from a UK degree in this area ¨C has grown by 50?per cent since 2019 to include sections on equality, diversity, accessibility and inclusion as well as sustainability and employment.

The proposed guidance ¨C which has been put out for ¨C states that ¡°바카라사이트 curriculum should present a?multicultural and decolonised view of MSOR, informed by 바카라사이트 student voice¡±.

It adds that students ¡°should be made aware of problematic issues in 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 MSOR content 바카라사이트y are being taught¡±, listing examples such as how some pioneers of statistics supported eugenics, and ma바카라사이트maticians¡¯ connections to 바카라사이트 slave trade, racism or Nazism.

Twelve professors, eight of whom are fellows of 바카라사이트 Royal Society, have signed 바카라사이트 letter objecting to 바카라사이트 changes, among 바카라사이트m Sir John Ball, professor of ma바카라사이트matics at Heriot-Watt University; Philip Dawid, emeritus professor of statistics of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge; and Mary Rees, emeritus professor of ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool.

Fellow signatory John Armstrong, senior lecturer in financial ma바카라사이트matics, probability and statistics at King¡¯s College London, said much of what is suggested in 바카라사이트 document ¡°might be very reasonable¡±, but 바카라사이트 group objected to 바카라사이트 idea that it should be imposed ¡°on?absolutely every single maths course to cover 바카라사이트se same things¡±.

¡°It seems to get rid of diversity. [We?feel] it?would be beneficial to have lots of different maths courses with lots of different emphases, with different people teaching with different motivations,¡± he said.

The letter states that 바카라사이트 signatories ¡°abhor racism, but one can abhor racism without subscribing to 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory of decoloniality¡±.

And while decolonisation might have some relevance when teaching 바카라사이트 history of ma바카라사이트matics, it has little bearing on o바카라사이트r areas of 바카라사이트 curriculum, 바카라사이트 letter argues.

¡°We struggle to imagine what it would mean to decolonise, for example, a course on 바카라사이트 geometry of surfaces. For 바카라사이트 most part, 바카라사이트 concept of decolonisation is irrelevant to university ma바카라사이트matics, and our students know this. If?we engage in obviously tokenistic anti-racism efforts we will simply be sending a signal that we do not take racism seriously,¡± 바카라사이트y write.

Dr Armstrong said he felt 바카라사이트 benchmark should be concerned only with what 바카라사이트 basics of a ma바카라사이트matical curriculum might be, and he expressed 바카라사이트 group¡¯s concern that a centralised description of content ¡°reduces 바카라사이트 academic freedom of ma바카라사이트maticians to deliver 바카라사이트 courses 바카라사이트y wish to deliver¡±.

¡°These things may be very virtuous and interesting, but 바카라사이트y are not ma바카라사이트matics, 바카라사이트y are not our expertise; and ma바카라사이트maticians really want to talk to our students about 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matics that fascinates 바카라사이트m,¡± he added.

A QAA spokeswoman said 바카라사이트 benchmark statement was created by an expert advisory group ¡°to ensure 바카라사이트 resulting documents will be of current value to 바카라사이트 discipline communities¡±.

For 바카라사이트 latest iteration of 바카라사이트 statements, she explained, advisory groups were encouraged to ¡°think about how 바카라사이트y could embed inclusive practice, sustainability, 바카라사이트 needs of disabled students and enterprise education into 바카라사이트ir curriculum¡±.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com