The Third R

If you finished your schooling in the 1940s or '50s you'll be very familiar with the now unfashionable Three Rs—Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic. You're probably also familiar with the song, School Days:

                    School days, school days, dear old golden rule days;
                    Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic, taught to the tune of the hickory stick.

If such was your experience you finished school with something many modern kids missed: an education.

To paraphrase Sir Humphrey Appleby of Yes Prime Minister fame (I can't recall the exact quote) he said that British kids are "socially aware, personally well-adjusted, but they can't read, write or do sums."

Which brings me to the point of this topic – that third R – 'Rithmetic.

On January 8 the Sydney Morning Herald published a limerick in Column 8 with the qualification that it would appeal to people "over a certain age" but that younger people would need a calculator. See how you fare.

Did you work it out? Of course you did! On the other hand, if you know somebody who couldn't work it out (somebody else, of course, not you) you could suggest that they sign up for Len Smith's Recreational Mathematics Class at Springwood. Click on the link for details.

And just in case you never had the good fortune to meet Sir Humphrey, the video embedded below will allow you to see what you missed.

                    —David Evans