Maths to be an optional for Boards!!?!

Oh wonderful school days. How much I would love to revisit you. You are the stuff of my lovely memories but I shall not forget the nightmares easily. Everyone has that one subject or two that has given them childhood and teenage grief.

Mind you, Vizagites mostly are geniuses at mathematics and number crunching comes easy to the numerous alumni of engineering preparatory academies in Vizag. They have made it big and kudos to all of you. There are however some of those for whom numbers are a phobia of sorts.

The Mumbai High Court which has been at the fore front of many path breaking jurisdictions is never shy of being called radical. The most recent is their suggestion of making Maths optional in the 10^th standard. Heard right??? Absolutely!

The logic cited it fairly simple. Extensive research conducted in the educational field with special emphasis on learning difficulties and dropout rates among students reveals mathematics and language subjects as the culprits. Finding it difficult to cope up with higher maths, students have been found to either fail or simply dropout at the juncture of board examinations. Hence the court orders to explore the possibility of making the dreaded subject optional.

Covered by all major dailies and Maharashtra print and visual news media this news is vital to Vizag. Academics are taken seriously by us Vizagites. If this landmark judgement is effected there remains an open window of exploration for Andhra Pradesh. What favours this is the fact that many students who wish to take up Humanities but fail to progress due to learning difficulties of the sine, theta and beta of maths can now rest easy. They can focus on what they are good at and go on to graduate and further their scholarships with ease.

But this is quite a twist in our school system and academic concept. It seeks to change a very ingrained academic modus-operandi. The critics call it a rebellious move and too libertarian for consideration. They speak for the fundamentals of mathematics in Matriculation to be indispensible for educational preparedness.

July 26^th 2017 is the date for the next hearing and the recommendations of the committee in question are to be tabled before the Court. Students in large numbers are holding their breath and speculation is rampant. Yo!Vizag will be with you with the information at the soonest. Meanwhile we would love to know how Vizag feels about this and your arguments for or against this move.

So do comment and voice your take on this.