Trump's Statements Regarding Math Tutoring at Harvard Aren't Consistent
Hey There!
It seems that some confusion has been stirred up around Harvard University and their mathematics offerings. This comes following President Donald Trump's remarks during a recent event, accusing the prestigious institution of teaching "remedial mathematics" and questioning how students could've even got in without mastering basic arithmetic like "two plus two equals four."
Let's bust this myth wide open!
FACT CHECK: Harvard does not offer remedial mathematics covering the basics such as addition. As clarified by a White House spokesperson, what President Trump may have been referring to was Mathematics MA5, a new format for an existing course offering extra support in calculus. The original course, Mathematics MA, is still available.
So, what's MA5 all about? Essentially, this college-level course targets foundational skills in algebra, geometry, and quantitative reasoning. As Harvard College Spokesperson James Chisholm stated, students in MA and MA5 have identical homework, exams, and grading structures, with the only difference being that MA5 meets five days a week instead of the traditional three. Both courses are prerequisites for advanced math courses.
It's worth noting that the Harvard Crimson reported in September that Mathematics MA5 was developed to address the lack of foundational algebra skills among students potentially caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, Harvard offers several programs to support students interested in STEM fields, such as the Rising Scholars Program for incoming students from under-resourced high schools and the Emerging Scholars Program for freshmen enrolled in calculus interested in STEM careers.
In essence, Harvard isn't pushing low-grade mathematics; it's providing additional resources to help students thrive in rigorous academic programs. As Brian Taylor, managing partner at college counseling service Ivy Coach, put it, gaining admission to Harvard isn't a walk in the park, regardless of demographics. So, President Trump's math on this one doesn't really add up!
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