Comments on: “We oldies can manage metric OK” http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/11/22/oldies-can-manage-metric/ Commentary on the measurement muddle in the UK Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:12:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Roddy Urquhart http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/11/22/oldies-can-manage-metric/#comment-6730 Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:16:07 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/11/22/oldies-can-manage-metric/#comment-6730 It is very patronising to say that older people cannot master metric units. After all they coped very well 36 years ago when we switched to decimal currency, so why would they not cope with decimal measurement! Also older people will have encountered metric when taught science in school many decades ago. I first learned about metric from my late grandmother - who would be 109 if she were still alive! - who had a great enthusiasm for maths and science. She was a primary school headmistress. I recall being about 10 years old when she explained to me the fundamentals of the metric system and remarked that 'this is a very sensible way to measure which they use in France, Netherlands and Belgium - but not here'. I have been left her Edwardian secondary school maths books. Half of the geometry examples are metric and half are imperial. Metric education has certainly been around in some shape or form for a century! It is very patronising to say that older people cannot master metric units. After all they coped very well 36 years ago when we switched to decimal currency, so why would they not cope with decimal measurement! Also older people will have encountered metric when taught science in school many decades ago.

I first learned about metric from my late grandmother - who would be 109 if she were still alive! - who had a great enthusiasm for maths and science. She was a primary school headmistress. I recall being about 10 years old when she explained to me the fundamentals of the metric system and remarked that ‘this is a very sensible way to measure which they use in France, Netherlands and Belgium - but not here’.

I have been left her Edwardian secondary school maths books. Half of the geometry examples are metric and half are imperial. Metric education has certainly been around in some shape or form for a century!

]]> by: Martin Vlietstra http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/11/22/oldies-can-manage-metric/#comment-6681 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 17:15:30 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2007/11/22/oldies-can-manage-metric/#comment-6681 My mother-in-law (aged 85) is currently moving into sheltered accomodation where she will be one of the youngest residents. In order to comply with fire regulations, all visitors have to sign in and out. I notice that all visitors use the 24 hour clock for this purpose. While this is not strictly part of the metrication argument, there is probably a very stong correlation between those who refuse to use the 24 hour clock and those who refuse to use metric units. Given that most visitors are probably the children of residents (typical age 60), the argument that people are "too old" to convert to metric is a very weak one. My mother-in-law (aged 85) is currently moving into sheltered accomodation where she will be one of the youngest residents. In order to comply with fire regulations, all visitors have to sign in and out. I notice that all visitors use the 24 hour clock for this purpose. While this is not strictly part of the metrication argument, there is probably a very stong correlation between those who refuse to use the 24 hour clock and those who refuse to use metric units.

Given that most visitors are probably the children of residents (typical age 60), the argument that people are “too old” to convert to metric is a very weak one.

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