Cultural and Institutional Inequalities : The case of mathematics education in Flemish schools

Abstract

This paper has three parts. The first sketches the evolving notions of mathematical and statistical literacy. The second presents the twin resreach programmes of Ethnomathematics and Crtiical Matehmatics Education. The third part considers education in mathematical and statistical literacy in Flanders secondary schools. Attainment outcomes in Flemish schools show marked differences when analysed by native language and, separately, for immigration status, even when controlled for social and economic status. We claim that these data demonstrate the significance of two levels of Bishop’s five-level analysis and indicate the practical and political importance of research into Ethnomathematics and Critical Mathematics Education.