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>The aim of the High School teachers in the Waldorf School is to develop and extend the understanding and ability of all students in Mathematics. The 'rules' or 'formal theories' of Mathematics are developed as the summary of experiences with patterns or measurements and not as the starting point for each topic, which is so typical of much mathematical teaching.
The essential feature of Upper School mathematics is for young people to experience that they can build their own understanding of processes that can be very useful in the world. An example here would be that their understanding of trigonometry learnt in Class 10 allows them to do the calculations necessary to make an accurate plan map which they actually do in a Surveying Main Lesson in that same year. In developing confidence in their own powers of thought young people can mature into a feeling of strength in what they can do and achieve in the world. Mathematics offers that pure realm of thinking where they can experience certainty, perfection and truth. These experiences help to build the power of thinking in the "ethical individual".
Classes 8 through to 10 are unstreamed and Mathematics is studied in a whole class group. Naturally each class covers a wide range of abilities and special care is given to provide a course which is flexible enough to cater for each student's individual needs. This varies from gifted students doing extension questions and/or topics at one level and students for whom Mathematics is a struggle, doing modified questions in any topic and occasionally doing their own individual program. For Classes 11 and 12 two different levels are provided for the Mathematics Practice classes. The lower level group covers most topics to a more introductory level although at Class 12 the calculus and complex numbers are not attempted.
It is stressed to the Class 11 and 12 students that those who may
wish to study in any maths/science course at tertiary level must
do the higher stream of mathematics.