Values and Equal Opportunities
largely the values of Western liberalism. These comprise the following:
liberty, equality and fraternity as the basic values; respect for the integrity
and individuality of all persons; ·
the extension of these values to all groups of people and cultures, according
them equal value and status;
the right of all individuals to equal opportunities regardless of sex, race,
creed, social class, sexual orientation, age; disability, or other discriminatory
characteristics;
the acceptance of democracy, the right of persons to collectively determine
their life circumstances, as a means of enacting these values politically.
There is no necessity behind this choice of values, for no values are strictly necessary.
However, they are more or less the values endorsed by the charters, bills and universal
declarations of human rights, as well as in the laws of Wec;tern liberal democracies.
The educational implications of social constructivism
Educational principles are also required. We adopt two: (1) schooling and the
curriculum should embody and respect the above values as much as is possible, and (2)
the mathematics curriculum should be a representative selection, reflecting the nature
of the discipline itself.
In accordance with these principles, school mathematics should reflect the
following features of mathematics.
1 Mathematics consists primarily of human mathematical problem posing and
solving, an activity which is accessible to all. Consequently. school
mathematics for all should be centrally concerned with human mathematical
problem posing and solving, and should reflect its fallibility.
2 Mathematics is a part of human culture, and the mathematics of each culture
serves its own unique purposes, and is equally valuable. Consequently,
school mathematics should acknowledge the diverse cultural and historical
origins and purposes of mathematics, and the real contributions of all,
including women and non-European countries.
3 Mathematics is not neutral but laden with the values of its makers and their
cultural contexts, and users and creators of mathematic; have: responsibility
to consider its effects on the social and natural worlds. Consequently school
mathematics should explicitly acknowledge the values associated with
mathematics, and its social uses. Learners should be aware of implicit social
messages in the mathematics curriculum and should have the confidence,
knowledge and skills to be able to understand the social uses of mathematics.