What Is The New Maths That Was Introduced In 1970s?

The purpose of the "new maths" courses is to give children a confident understanding of the structure and relation of numbers to one another. They aim to help students to understand the way numeral systems are built up and the laws that govern their behaviour. So, instead of simply prescribing rules and emphasizing drill in applying them, "new maths" endeavours to go back to the sources of the rules to show that they are valid.
"New maths" also introduces children early to advanced mathematical concepts. It shows the interrelation of the various branches of mathematics, such as algebra and geometry, rather than considering them as separate topics.
The "new maths" might be compared to a cooking course in which effort is made, not only to provide practice in following the prescribed steps of a recipe, but also to help the student to understand the properties of the various ingredients and their effect when in combination with other ingredients. So the student not only learns how to prepare a particular dish, but also learns why the end product comes out the way it does. Thus the student is helped to obtain a better overall picture of cooking, and so, hopefully, will be a better cook.
Similarly, by helping young maths students see the reason for rules and introducing them early to advanced concepts, it is hoped that they will be better equipped to work out solutions to problems and to pursue courses in higher mathematics.

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