It doesn’t take much to cause everyone on the internet to go a little crazy, so it’s not completely surprising that an incorrect answer on a child’s math test is the latest event to get people fired up.
The test in question asked kids to solve “5 x 3” using repeated addition. Under this method, the correct answer is “5 groups of 3,” not “3 groups of 5.” The question is typical of Common Core but has many questioning this type of standardized testing and how it affects learning.
After an image of the test was uploaded to Imgur, many took to voicing their opinions on both sides of the argument. One commenter took up the side of the student, saying, “As an instructor: fuck it. I am actually happy when I see people finding alternative ways to solve the problems.” Another said, “Actually the teacher is correct. 5*3 means 5 times the number 3, or 3+3+3+3+3. Understand, we are not in the room when it was TAUGHT.”
One thing we can all agree on is about “5+5+5” is that it equals another example of how much people on the internet love to argue.
This article originally appeared on 9.9.21
