"martin" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 4 Jun 2004 19:04:43 +0100, Kay Easton
wrote:


No, not so - they learn different areas of mathematics.

My son did no real geometry for GCSE or A level maths. He did nothing
that I hadn't done for A level maths 40 years before, whereas the A
level maths I did covered topics he didn't.

Though I know squat about what happens in school nowadays, I can relate to
the above.
Back in '95 I was doing a course and needed to refresh the maths level I had
done for the equivalent of the UK's GCSE.
On account of having a sibling almost 9 years younger, I had noticed
homework standards had increased so that by the time she was starting
secondary school, she was at the level that I had begin at GCSE level.
Furthermore, by the time she got to GCSE, she was doing in advance of my
Leaving Cert. level (Irish equitant of A level ).
With that in mind, I assumed the information I wanted might, by 1995, be in
an even more junior section than secondary level. But no. So I looked at
GCSE level, but not there either. Eventually, I found it, though at a
substandard level, within an A level maths text book!
i.e. 19 years after in had being in Ireland's Intermediate certificate
level..

Patrick