So this morning I found out that Ontario decided to play around with Grade 12 math again. On the bright side, they did not go ahead with their insane plan to stab calculus in a vital organ. Unfortunately, it went for the face instead.

Long ago, in OAC, there were three ultra math courses: Algebra and Geometry, Calculus, and Finite Mathematics. All three were the pinnacle of math in high school. Then, a few years ago, the government obliterated OAC and redid the entire school system, and the three math courses we ended up did not strike fear into hearts as the ones before them did. We now had Advanced Functions and Introductory Calculus, Data Management, and Geometry and Discrete Mathematics.

With this setup, we got vectors, differential calculus, and combinatorics, which was pretty cool. We also got profs crying for the first three months because we couldn’t integrate until then.

Now, the new setup is as follows: Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, Data Management. Advanced Functions seems to be the part of calc that wasn’t differential calculus. Data looks relatively unchanged. And we have calc and vectors.

The biggest changes are with calc. Essentially, they’ve destroyed the most interesting math course in high school by taking out combinatorics. After they did that, they realized they had enough room to stretch out half a course into its own course. And then, they took differential calc and stuck it with vectors.

I’ll admit that vectors and combinatorics really have nothing to do with each other and really the only reason why they were together before was that they were both sufficiently interesting and really, only math and engineering majors would need vectors and combinatorics. That and those two topics seemed to tie in proofs quite nicely.

But calc and vectors? I honestly don’t see how this will help the situation if the government is after lower failure rates, which it clearly is all its concerned about in light of these changes. Considering that most science and business people will likely need calc at least for analysis, throwing vectors in there essentially screws them over. And if the vectors weren’t deadly enough, the proofing will finish the job.

That is unless I am mistaken and the math courses really got owned and they took out proofs, which will crush any future prospective math majors.

So, ultimately, who will get destroyed by this turn of events?

• Non-semestered students – they have the privilege of taking a prerequisite course at the same time as their introductory calculus course! Because differentiating exponential functions while you’re being introduced to them is the best way to learn!
• Arts majors – have fun watching your average plummet.
• Science majors – you’ll be ahead of the artsies in vectors, but proofing will still crush you.
• Math majors – have fun trying to abstract things when all the math you’ve done in your life has been algebra.
• Engineers – have fun when you realize that the prof just went through three courses in two weeks.