Cameron backs teaching weights and measures in imperial

Mr Jack

Mr Jack

Mr Jack

Caporegime
Joined
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In an interview for Newsnight yesterday, Cameron endorsed the idea that schools should teach mainly in pounds and inches. (Linky)

I think there's probably some merit in knowing about the old measures, but metric measures are vastly more widely applicable. No sensible scientist, engineer or architect works in imperial anymore. Most of the things we buy are by law sold in metric measures.

Shouldn't we be teaching our children to embrace metric measures more not less?
 
Thats not how I recall the interview last night. I thought Euan asked him whether he preferred Metric or Imperial to which he said he was an Imperial kinda guy. Just like he likes to give a hoody a hug.
 
'I think I’d still go for pounds and ounces, yes I do'

Pretty sure he is just giving a personal reference.

Bit of a quantum leap to conclude he wants to change the whole school syllabus.
 
Don't care which it is so long as they can understand the system and do arithmetic without resorting for help.
 
Rosbif said:
Thats not how I recall the interview last night. I thought Euan asked him whether he preferred Metric or Imperial to which he said he was an Imperial kinda guy. Just like he likes to give a hoody a hug.
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No, Euan asked him which he thought schools should teach most. I don't think this is intended to lead through to school policy but neither do I think the prime minister saying he thinks schools should tend towards teaching imperial weights and measures can be idly dismissed.
 
This is barmy enough to be a UKIP policy. What next? instead of having one hundred pennies in pound we could revert to shillings and pence.
 
Children should be taught both systems and how to convert. In my field, Aerospace, drawings from American companies are generally are in imperial measurements and European are in metric measurements. It's a good idea to understand both and be able to convert. Whilst both systems are in use throughout the world then teach them!
 
scorza said:
This is barmy enough to be a UKIP policy.
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It used to be part of their manifesto (circa 2010)

"Ukip would restore imperial measures for all weights and measures, restoring the crown symbol on pint glasses (now illegal under EU rules), safeguarding the mile, allowing the sale of vegetables and fruit in pounds and ounces, restoring acres not hectares, and require all media, businesses, schools and colleges to use imperial alongside metric measurements."
 
LOL.. probably thinks poor folk should still be paid in sheep or goats and fed gruel. That's my 50p's worth (Ten bob old money):):)

I'm old enough to have experienced both but can't say I'd like to go back to £.s.d. Unfortunately some American companies cling on to imperial doggedly, which can be a pain when trying to source spares in Europe.
 
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Gixer said:
Children should be taught both systems and how to convert. In my field, Aerospace, drawings from American companies are generally are in imperial measurements and European are in metric measurements. It's a good idea to understand both and be able to convert. Whilst both systems are in use throughout the world then teach them!
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Exactly! No harm in knowing both, as many fields of industry still use imperial measures. The company I work for still produce new drawings in imperial, so it's not going away anytime soon.
 
Our mish-mash or different measuring systems means I'm incompetent in both.

I use feet and inches for personal height
Miles for distance on a map
Meters for all other measurements
Stones for human weight
Kilos for all other weights
Pints for drinking
Galleons for fuel
Litres for purchasing, cooking and everything else
Hectares for looking at land
Square feet for looking at property

I confuse myself.
 
Working in the oil industry could get like this all the time too. People working in Liters gallons, barrels, feet, meters. Idiots...
 
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