We (parents) have just found out that the maths teacher in my daughters school is trying to persuade the pupils that the world is flat.

 

Before we (parents) complain to the school, I thought I would seek advise from the teachers in this forum.

 

Do you think this teacher is trying to push their boundaries of thinking? Is he using a mathematical theory or is he just a nutter?

 

I'm really not keen with someone believing the earth is flat, teaching my daughter anything.

9 minutes ago, ConnectionNotGuaranteed said:

the maths teacher in my daughters school is trying to persuade the pupils that the world is flat.

doesn't surprise me. most teachers here haven't got a clue.

Nutter!

He might be right...

Thin crust, lava flowing out of spewing volcanoes, ring of fire, how can the Math teacher know the earth is flat unless he/she believes in just a linear approach.  Guess soccer balls are flat also...

Nutter, for sure... I would speak to the principal... 

1 hour ago, ConnectionNotGuaranteed said:

I'm really not keen with someone believing the earth is flat, teaching my daughter anything.

I've watched a flat earth video once and I was impressed at how detailed their case was. Some of these people may be autistic but they're higher I.Q than average. It also shows good character that they're willing to take such a wildly contrarian position and defend it.

 

If this was a security guard maybe I would question them but this is a math teacher so they obviously have a good mind to begin with.

 

No questions I'd rather have a high I.Q autistic math teacher than a boring do it by the books type.

I would try to get my money back and look at another school for your kid. 

Schools teach subjects according to a syllabus, with written teaching objectives etc.  Teachers are not allowed to teach 'their own views/beliefs' - they must teach what's in the syllabus.  They can voice their own opinions, but clearly in this case, this teacher's opinions conflict with the science syllabus that he/she should be teaching, and which is based upon scientific facts.

 

With my older students, we can have a good discussion about flat earth beliefs, and what experiments/data prove this belief to be false. That's a good learning/critical thinking experience.

 

But in your case, (based on your post), it sounds as if he is not a good teacher.  Your daughter deserves better.

1 hour ago, ConnectionNotGuaranteed said:

We (parents) have just found out that the maths teacher in my daughters school is trying to persuade the pupils that the world is flat.

 

Before we (parents) complain to the school, I thought I would seek advise from the teachers in this forum.

 

Do you think this teacher is trying to push their boundaries of thinking? Is he using a mathematical theory or is he just a nutter?

 

I'm really not keen with someone believing the earth is flat, teaching my daughter anything.

I think you should take this initial report with a pinch of salt at first before escalating , not sure how old your kid is (which may determine the confidence levels in the report accuracy) but it may be a simple misunderstanding or, as you mention, they are trying to stimulate debate/critical thinking or maybe it's just an attempt a humour. 

 

If your kid comes back with similar reports again consistently over a few weeks or so, then I would suggest talking to the teacher directly.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

He might be right...

Is that Uranus?

"Is he using a mathematical theory"

There is none, he is an idiot who shouldn't be teaching.

I actually have a school mate who has been in space and saw he is full off sht.

Not sure of age of your daughter, but retention and comprehension varies between children and across the academic day, also how calm is the class room?

You mention he is a maths teacher, could the topic have been geometry? If the discussion was about circles, spheres and planes, then a simple misunderstanding of the the centre plane of a sphere could easily be described as a flat section of the earth.

Had a similar issue years ago with mine, without going into specifics, colared the teacher after school a couple of days later, turns out what he was teaching was totally misunderstood by my daughter, the end of week test confirmed  she hadn't grasped what was being taught. 

4 hours ago, ConnectionNotGuaranteed said:

Before we (parents) complain to the school, I thought I would seek advise from the teachers in this forum.

On how to spell ‘advice’ is that?

Obviously one of TEFL’s finest and in South-East Asia too,what are the chances?

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Guess soccer balls are flat also..

I had a basketball that would go flat and some tires too... 

 

Hmmm

I dunno.

 

Does the teacher seem to be on edge all the time?

Talk to the teachér. Don't complain until you have all the facts.

 

What grade is your daughter.

 

If matayom or p 6 the teacher may be trying to get them to think.

 

On the other hand your child may have missed something in the translation.

Doubt that the teacher was serious! 

4 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I had a basketball that would go flat and some tires too... 

So it has become an associated casualty of a flat earth. Wonder who deflated the world.....I know that's a loaded question....

Is this teacher Thai or a foreigner?  More importantly, are they Buddhist?  I ask because in Buddhism cosmology there is the concept of a flat earth, with Mount Sumeru at the centre, surrounded by oceans.  Go too far towards the edge and you will 'fall off' and enter the realm of wailing ghosts.

 

So maybe this is a misunderstanding about real scientific facts/evidence and Buddist mumbo-jumbo.

10 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

I've watched a flat earth video once and I was impressed at how detailed their case was. Some of these people may be autistic but they're higher I.Q than average. It also shows good character that they're willing to take such a wildly contrarian position and defend it.

 

If this was a security guard maybe I would question them but this is a math teacher so they obviously have a good mind to begin with.

 

No questions I'd rather have a high I.Q autistic math teacher than a boring do it by the books type.

This topic is about a so-called teacher who claims the earth is flat and it most certainly is not. Flatearthers are not usually autistic - they are stupid. You need to watch some debunking videos as well and be corrected with your "impressions" 

8 hours ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Obviously one of TEFL’s finest and in South-East Asia too,what are the chances?

Umh, Maths teacher, not TEFL. 

But don't let that stand in the way of your assumption!

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

So it has become an associated casualty of a flat earth.

nope. I just needed an air pump and all was round again...

11 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

I was impressed at how detailed their case was. Some of these people may be autistic but they're higher I.Q than average. It also shows good character that they're willing to take such a wildly contrarian position and defend it.

you are joking - right??

Just now, 1FinickyOne said:

you are joking - right??

No. Go watch one of their videos on YouTube or wherever. Filled full of very detailed arguments and data.

 

I think it may be a game for them even.

As others have recommended, you should talk to the teacher before going to school administration.  There is a good chance that the students did not understand what he or she was saying and that this is all a misunderstanding.  Several years ago a friend asked his students to solve 'Einstein's puzzle' which talks about 5 neighbors of whom some smoke cigars, others drink whisky, etc..  The kids told their parents that their teacher was teaching them about smoking and drinking!

 

If, of course, he is a flat Earther, he should be fired immediately.  An idiot like that has no business teaching children.

10 hours ago, roo860 said:

Is that Uranus?

It's not mine!