| 09.30 | Welcome coffee |
| 10.00 | Talk 1 - Gilles Godefroy (Paris) |
| L'enseignement secondaire des Mathématiques en France (Mathematics in French high schools) | |
| 11.00 | Talk 2 - Frans Keune (Radboud University Nijmegen) |
| Terug bij af (Back to square one) | |
| 12.00 | Panel discussion chaired by Alain Verschoren, rector of UA |
| 13.00 | General assembly of BMS; election of new committee (very short) |
| 13.00 | Reception |
Cette conférence présentera quelques données sur l'enseignement des mathématiques dans l'enseignement secondaire français. Nous nous intéresserons en particulier aux différents programmes de mathématiques et au temps disponible pour traiter ces programmes, au recrutement des enseignants, et aux débouchés vers l'enseignement supérieur. Quelques particularités du système français (enseignement de la philosophie en classe de terminale, baccalauréat national, classes préparatoires, grandes écoles...) seront évoquées. This lecture will provide some datas on the way mathematics are taught in French High Schools. We will investigate the programs and the schedule teachers have for completing these programs. We will also explain how teachers are hired, and what the students do after High School. Some peculiarities of the French system (teaching of philosophy in the last year of High School, national exam terminating High School, preparatory classes, and the so-called Grandes Ecoles) will be presented. The talk will be in French with slides in English
Het wiskundeonderwijs zou verband moeten houden met de aard van de wiskunde. Die is immers verantwoordelijk voor het enorme succes van de wiskunde. Het gaat om een verrijking van de mogelijkheden van de mens die teruggaat tot de Griekse oudheid. Overdracht daarvan zou tot de kern van het onderwijs moeten behoren. Juist omdat wiskunde belangrijk is, zijn er van alle kanten invloeden op het wiskundeonderwijs, vooral slechte invloeden. Na de `new math' is er nu de `no math' en daarmee zijn we in het onderwijs qua wiskundig denken terug bij af, bij de Babyloniërs en de Egyptenaren. Zal er ooit nog een `math math' in de mode komen? Mathematics education should be related to the nature of mathematics. This nature is responsible for the enormous success of mathematics. It is all about an enrichment of man's possibilities going back to the Greek antiquity. For education the transfer of this enrichment should be core business. Just because mathematics is important, influences on mathematics education are from everywhere, mainly bad influences. After the `new math' we now have the `no math' and thus in education regarding mathematical thinking we are back to square one, back to the Babylonians and the Egyptians. Will a `math math' ever be fashionable? The talk will be in Dutch with slides in English
is a researcher (currently DR1) at the C.N.R.S. in Paris. He is currently president of the Scientific Council of the C.I.R.M. at Luminy and the director of the Doctoral school of Mathematics in Paris. He is one of the worlds leading experts on functional analysis. He is the author or coauthor of 135 publications in mathematical journals, and he was the supervisor of 17 PhD students. He was director of the Mathematical Institute at Jussieu (2004-2007), and a member of the "Groupe d'Experts pour les programmes scolaires (2000-2002). In 1978-1979, he was scientific attaché at the French embassy in Tunis. Last but not least, he has been Gilles de Binche for a long time, see a picture at his website http://www.math.jussieu.fr/~godefroy.
is professor at the Institute for Mathematics at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. He made significant contributions to the development of higher algebraic K-theory. He is the author of "Getallen" (Epsilon Publishing, 2009). He is also known for his critical reflections on the mathematics education system in the Netherlands and Europe, see for example the texts on his website http://www.math.ru.nl/~keune. He is one of the driving forces behind Ratio, a program for Math education on the internet.