When did metric start to be taught in British schools?

[gg1]

Does anyone happen to know what year the metric system started to be taught as standard at all British schools?

 

[jfollows]

Does anyone happen to know what year the metric system started to be taught as standard at all British schools?

I was taught both in primary school in 1968; Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_Kingdom) says that examination boards changed to using SI from 1968 onwards (depending on which examination board) with changes mainly introduced around 1972-3:

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In England and Wales, unlike Scotland, education was controlled at county council level rather than at national level. In 1967 the Department for Education alerted all local education authorities to the need to adapt to the metric system. In 1968 all bodies that had an interest in the examination system were invited to contribute to the discussion of both metrication and decimalisation in education.[32]: paras. 84-86  In science subjects, this meant a conversion from the cgs system to SI, in geography from the imperial system to SI while in mathematics it meant discarding the teaching of mixed unit arithmetic, a topic that took up a significant part of the time allocated in primary schools to arithmetic/mathematics and 7% of total time allocated to all subjects.[45]

Old-fashioned schoolroom at The Ragged School Museum, with pre-decimal-currency conversions on the blackboard
In Scotland, virtually all examinations set from 1973 onwards have used SI, especially those connected with science and engineering.[32]: para. 87  In England, each examination board had its own timetable – the Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations, for example, announced a change to SI in 1968, with examinations in science and mathematics using SI by 1972, Geography in 1973 and Home Economics and various craft subjects being converted by the end of 1976.[29] Pupils were hampered by a revolution in teaching methods that was taking place at the same time and a lack of coordination at the national level. According to a report in 1982, children were taught the relationship between decimal counting, decimal money and metric measurements, with time being the only quantity whose units were manipulated in a mixed-unit manner.[46]

The year 1988 saw the introduction, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of the National Curriculum, in which SI is the principal system of measurement and calculation.[citation needed]Following devolution, there are now separate but similar curricula for state schools in England and Wales and Northern Ireland. They provide for pupils to be taught to measure, calculate and solve problems using the metric system, but also to be cognisant of the Imperial measurements still in common use and their approximate metric equivalents.[citation needed][a]

Scotland has always had a separate education system Curriculum for Excellence and there the units of measurement taught in education are the SI or metric system.[citation needed]

 

[Typhoon]

Does anyone happen to know what year the metric system started to be taught as standard at all British schools?

Prior to 1974, although the teaching of the metric system was not compulsory, many schools did in fact teach it, and it was included in some examination syllabuses. However, since 1974 all state schools have been required to teach the metric system as the primary system of measurement. The National Curriculum now requires only a familiarity with the names of old imperial units and, more recently (because of some unfortunate backsliding on metrication), approximate conversion factors for imperial units deemed still in common use.

Not quite an answer to your question*. I first started teaching in 1972, it was certainly taught in the schools where I worked. I would have taught Applied Maths from 1973 and I had to relearn that the acceleration due to gravity was 9.8m/s/s rather than the 32f/s/s which it had been when I was at school.

Quote from https://ukma.org.uk/the-case-for-change/policy-areas/education-policy/

* - it depends what you mean by 'standard'

 

[gg1]

I was taught both in primary school in 1968; Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_Kingdom) says that examination boards changed to using SI from 1968 onwards (depending on which examination board) with changes mainly introduced around 1972-3:

Not quite an answer to your question*. I first started teaching in 1972, it was certainly taught in the schools where I worked. I would have taught Applied Maths from 1973 and I had to relearn that the acceleration due to gravity was 9.8m/s/s rather than the 32f/s/s which it had been when I was at school.

Quote from https://ukma.org.uk/the-case-for-change/policy-areas/education-policy/

Thanks, a few years earlier than I thought.

* - it depends what you mean by 'standard'

I mean when was it taught at all schools across the board rather than just some, ie how old you would have to be now to have never been taught the metric system at school - assuming you were educated in the UK.

 

[Typhoon]

Thanks, a few years earlier than I thought.


I mean when was it taught at all schools across the board rather than just some, ie how old you would have to be now to have never been taught the metric system at school - assuming you were educated in the UK.

I left school in 1969, we were still using imperial so probably over 70s.

I should have added that when I was in primary school (late '50s), we had class wooden rulers ('Kent Rule' interestingly, I may still have one). As well as inches and eighths/ tenths/ sixteenths, it was marked in cm and mm. Long time ago but I think we were told something about it although whether we used it any more than once or twice is debatable. We knew it existed. Only length, not weight or capacity though.

 

[swt_passenger]

I’m almost 67 and was taught fully in metric at secondary school from 1966 onwards. Both my parents were taught the metric system for day to day weights and measures, but not for scientific subjects. They were at school before and during WW2. There’s obviously a difference of emphasis between the system they would be using day to day, and the metric alternatives, but I think there’s also a major difference between the media view of what “old people” typically know, and what they really know…

 

[Gloster]

I took my O-Level (Oxford & Cambridge Board) in November 1975 along with the previous summer’s retakes (so the 1974-1975 syllabus), most of my year took the exam the following summer. My recollection (possibly wrong) is that we still basically answered in Imperial units, but had a few questions so that we could show that we understood this new-fangled foreign idea. However, I was at public school and such institutions are generally more likely to be resistant to change.

 

[PeterC]

We were fully imperial in primary school but used metric in secondary school. I am 71

 

[Howardh]

63 and we were taught both in secondary school, we had lessons in converting £ S D into decimal coinage; my favourite subject Geography always relied on feet/miles but used centigrade for temperatures and inches for rainfall!

Weights in metric mean nothing to me, no idea what 200g is, but I'd be struggling to know what 6oz looks like too.
I prefer miles to KM, and feet to m when understanding height, but I'm ok with either on length.
Much prefer centigrade to fahreniet, 0 (freezing) to 100 (boiling) is simplicity itself.
In hockey the "25" is now the "23" (ugh!) and I've no idea what the 18 became!

I reckon it's each to their own; just go with what you prefer. But imagine the chaos if £ S D was brought back, us oldies would be able to rip off everyone else something rotten!

 

[krus_aragon]

As a point of reference, I have a set of "SMP Advanced Mathematics [Metric]" A Level textbooks. The inner cover lists them as first published in 1967, and reprinted 1970 (metricated).

This is later than several posters above indicate, but it's commonplace to start new curriculum changes with younger groups (e.g. beginning primary or secondary school), and let the older ones finish learning on the old system, rather than throw a stumbling block at them a year before leaving school. On that basis, A Levels may have been the last to switch over.

 

[Lloyds siding]

September 1970 I started in our sixth form doing physics and other science subjects. We were using imperial measurements, as we had been doing up to then. We had been introduced to some metric units too. January 1971 we were told that the A-level would be all metric, so we started learning everything in the metric cgs sysytem (centimetre, gram, second). Then September 1971 we were told that everything in the country (including our A-levels) was going to be in the SI system, which is metric (but uses m,k,s: metre, kilogramme, second), so we had to relearn all our units all over again.
This has been useful: I can follow all the systems and convert between them!

 

[swt_passenger]

Weights in metric mean nothing to me, no idea what 200g is, but I'd be struggling to know what 6oz looks like too.

A typical tin of baked beans, or a large jar of coffee, will be 200g - if it helps in future.

 

[Gloster]

A typical tin of baked beans, or a large jar of coffee, will be 200g - if it helps in future.

That is the small size of baked bean tin, the ones that are around 2” high. The larger ones, around 10 cm. high, are in the region of 400 g.

 

[swt_passenger]

That is the small size of baked bean tin, the ones that are around 2” high. The larger ones, around 10 cm. high, are in the region of 400 g.

Quite right. I missed out small. Should have just stick with the coffee… But I suppose people just buy the usual pre packed stuff based on what they look like and rarely need to read the weight.

 

[The exile]

Thanks, a few years earlier than I thought.


I mean when was it taught at all schools across the board rather than just some, ie how old you would have to be now to have never been taught the metric system at school - assuming you were educated in the UK.

Looking at it the other way around - I’m mid 50s and had no dealings with imperial units at school ( not even as a mathematical conversion exercise, which would have been useful). I believe converting between the two was re-introduced later.

 

[AlterEgo]

I was taught maths and science entirely in metric.

Geography would often refer to "acres" or "miles" though. I am 35.

 

[Ediswan]

A typical tin of baked beans, or a large jar of coffee, will be 200g - if it helps in future.

200g of coffee, over 400g of jar.

 

[coppercapped]

Does anyone happen to know what year the metric system started to be taught as standard at all British schools?

In science classes we were told that there were two 'flavours' of metric - cgs (centimetre-gram-second) and mks (metre-kilogram-second). The mks flavour evolved to become the Système International of units.

We used the cgs system for our calculations in maths, physics and chemistry. Anyone remember the erg? An erg being the amount of work done by a force of one dyne exerted for a distance of one centimetre.

This was about 1958/9 as I went to Uni in 1962 and there it was all mks.

The world around us was of course still Imperial - it was many years later before I saw my first bathroom scales graduated in kilograms on sale in England...

 

[gg1]

Some interesting comments, metric in schools goes back further than I though, I'd assumed the cut off point in terms of current age would be in the 60s rather than the 70s.

It does underline the ridiculousness of the government proposal to reintroduce Imperial measurements (even it it's only as well as, not instead of metric) discussed in the thread from which my opening post was moved.

 

[Typhoon]

As a point of reference, I have a set of "SMP Advanced Mathematics [Metric]" A Level textbooks. The inner cover lists them as first published in 1967, and reprinted 1970 (metricated).

This is later than several posters above indicate, but it's commonplace to start new curriculum changes with younger groups (e.g. beginning primary or secondary school), and let the older ones finish learning on the old system, rather than throw a stumbling block at them a year before leaving school. On that basis, A Levels may have been the last to switch over.

I think you are probably right about that although SMP did set their own exams (through Oxford and Cambridge I seem to recall) so they might have been slightly ahead of the game.

September 1970 I started in our sixth form doing physics and other science subjects. We were using imperial measurements, as we had been doing up to then. We had been introduced to some metric units too. January 1971 we were told that the A-level would be all metric, so we started learning everything in the metric cgs sysytem (centimetre, gram, second). Then September 1971 we were told that everything in the country (including our A-levels) was going to be in the SI system, which is metric (but uses m,k,s: metre, kilogramme, second), so we had to relearn all our units all over again.
This has been useful: I can follow all the systems and convert between them!

Although you may have benefited in the long term, this was not really education's finest hour (although assistant examiners are usually encouraged to lean towards leniency in such situations).

 

[Snow1964]

I was at junior school 1972-76, and we had gone metric, so at least 50 years ago

However due to the baby boom hitting schools at the time they did quite have enough metric trundle wheels or metre sticks, so occasionally would use the old yard ones, which were not supposed to be used (but had been kept)

(My junior school had been built with 8 classrooms (2 per year) but we had 4 classes in our year, and 2 of the 4 years were in temporary huts), hence not getting enough metric equipment.

 

[Cheshire Rover]

I was taught metric from 1974 until 1986 then joined ICI and went imperial until I left in 2001. I believe the petrochemical industry is still heavily imperial.

 

[steamybrian]

I was taught metric in the early 1960s in addition to imperial measurements.

 

[PeterY]

I'm 64 and I was taught in imperial especially junior school but at senior school I was aware of metric.

You can't beat a mile and a pint

 

[krus_aragon]

I'm 64 and I was taught in imperial especially junior school but at senior school I was aware of metric.

You can't beat a mile and a pint

I'm of a far younger generation, but I find that the Mile is a unit that only has any relevance to me on roads. For any shorter distance, it's metres or multiples thereof in my head.

On the Pint front, it's close enough to 500ml for my purposes, especially given that many bottled beers and ciders are sold in this size. What really threw me for a bender was buying a drink (from a menu) in Canada, where they're still using the customary units of fluid ounces! (Did I want a 16, 20, or 24floz glass?)

 

[KeithMcC]

I left primary school in 1969 and think we were taught in Imperial - lots of general knowledge questions about how many oz ina lb etc.
At secondary we did SMP maths and I think that was all in metric. I am one of the few people left at work who can easily read old imperial drawings and convert them!
The one that used to catch me out as an engineer was doing some work in the US, where there was a lot of puzzling reference to the KIP, which I eventually found out was 1000lbs, i.e. a kilopound.

 

[najaB]

I was taught metric from 1974 until 1986 then joined ICI and went imperial until I left in 2001. I believe the petrochemical industry is still heavily imperial.

I suspect that's because correct mixing ratios are very important where chemical processes are concerned, certainly more so than in general life. For example, where a gallon is 'more or less' four litres of milk, when it comes to mixing chemicals that might be the difference between a successful batch and an explosion!

 

[Gricer99]

I was always taught metric and I'm 62. We were ready for decimalisation in 1971 and just kept going. Imagine my surprise when I went to University in the late 70s and they started talking about Pounds and gallons again.
Going back to Imperial is the most stupid and regressive idea and would cost millions!

 

[AlterEgo]

Nobody is suggesting people go back to imperial by default, merely removing the legal prohibition on advertising some things using those units.

 

[RT4038]

I changed high schools in 1969 (having moved from London to Bedford) . Taught in imperial at primary school and high school to 1969, then 'New' maths, in metric (what a novelty!) from then on.