Number One

The Jakarta Post   |  Tue, 04/29/2008 3:44 PM

Tell me why it takes being clever at math to be the number one student. And why, if I am a clever cook or gifted writer, it just does not count for much.

I’ve always considered myself to be stupid. Why? Because when I was at school, the exalted students were those who were stars of math and science. A friend explains that the reason for this is it takes logic to be good at math, as though excellence in social studies does not require the same thought process.

My mother arranged for extra math lessons so I could compete with my mathematically gifted peers. But with my right-brain, arts-dominated thinking it did not do much good. It was my own time of torture. I have often wondered why my parents, instead of trying to force me to excel at something I was just never going to be good at, did not encourage my interests in cooking, writing, drawing and painting. To be the best that I could be regardless of my math grade – a barely passing six in junior high school.

I recently visited the home of artist Sasha Tranggono, and was introduced to her son Nicholas. Although only in his first year of junior high, he is already an accomplished artist whose works sell. Three multinationals have placed orders for pieces, and a tycoon put down hard cash for a painting. It allowed the handsome young man to purchase an expensive new camera. The irony is that his lucrative works were considered worthless by his teachers.

I’m angry at whoever decided that math is everything in our education system. During my worrisome teenage years, when the arrival of a report card was a time of high anxiety, I thought I was stupid simply because I could not get a decent grade in math and science.

But those tough years of feeling nonplussed by the world of numbers are long gone. I am a successful writer with a good income, and none of that had anything to with my understanding, or lack thereof, of calculus or algebra.

My success also has nothing to do with the force-feeding of the Pancasila state ideology in my P4 classes. In fact, when I look around me at this or that minister and tycoon hauled before the courts on graft charges, I think that those P4 classes on ethics and values really did not do much good at all. Perhaps they should have indoctrinated us with more interesting and enjoyable subject matters, to produce ethical citizens with an unshakeable sense of self and purpose.

I know I am not the only one who suffered from the double standard regarding science versus social studies. A friend of mine, now an award-winning writer, went through the same darks days of wondering if he could ever master calculus. He is proud to say he has never had to use any of those mathematical equations in his current work, although the traumatic memories linger on.

I bet you that many of the supposed upstanding citizens who have surrendered to the temptation of corruption were top of their class and little math stars, learning then the ways of numbers. However, that does not mean we should get rid of math altogether, as we did with P4 lessons.

Don’t blame the subject, but the amoral people who have used that knowledge of numbers and, yes, logical thinking for their own evil means. Now they have to spend their time in a prison cell, though, if they put their mathematical skills to good use again, they can make sure their time behind bars is brief.  

Finally, ‘stupid me’ has got my own back.

+ Samuel Mulia

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