Chapter 5: Some Tensions in Mathematics Education for Democracy¹

In this chapter, I discuss some links between mathematics education and democracy, what these links could imply to what and how we teach, and the issues that arise from trying to further these links. I first suggest three links between mathematics education and democracy formulated on the basis of experiences in Denmark, in particular: learning to relate to authorities’ use of mathematics, learning to act in a democracy, and developing a democratic classroom culture. The first two are discussed in relation to narratives from real life, with a focus on the tensions which they reveal. From the discussion following the first narrative, it is clear that what is a competency in one context may not be so in another. This is supported by the second narrative which also questions what is most relevant to students in South Africa and thereby gives rise to the formulation of a fourth connection between democracy and mathematics education, related to issues of access.The third narrative informs a discussion of what it means to be critical. It also continues to address the potential tension between wanting to promote students’ critical skills and a democratic classroom culture versus wanting to support students in learning what others have developed and what is required in order to succeed in the schooling system. Finally, democracy is linked to the idea of “mundigkeit,” or “personal authority.” This is not only an issue in relation to the students, but also in relation to teachers. On this basis, I briefly touch on teachers’ possibilities for making choices concerning what and how to teach. This comprises a fifth connection between democracy and mathematics education.