Should Arabic Numerals Be Taught In Schools?

FORFEITED

Sorry for the forfeiture. I was trying to come up with a good argument but forgot I was running out of time.

Introduction

Pro was lucky to have 2 rounds in a row but chose that time to only bring up Roman numerals and tried to use this to defeat my position. Maybe this is because I mentioned them in the comments section of this debate, almost as a joke. It seems like strawmanning, but I’ll use Roman numerals to defend my position. Pro never even gave an argument for why we should use Arabic numerals, other than Roman numerals being too complex.

Roman Numerals

First, pro misunderstands the point of Roman numerals. They were not meant to do complex math or anything like that. They were used as a basic way to keep track of things. They will never be used for complex math in the first place. 

Second, pro says that they don’t have fractions, decimals, or zero. This is not entirely true. Fractions were written on Roman coins using symbols. Here’s a chart to make it easier to picture:

Look at the fraction for 5/12. This is now the current symbol for 5 we see on dice today. This shows the huge impact Roman culture had on the world. There are also other symbols that were used too. (See the Wikipedia article that even has pictures.) Now it is true that Roman numerals did not originally have a zero, but once the concept of zero was understood, people began to use “N” to represent zero, starting in the Middle Ages. (See the section about zero in the article.) This shows that if people need something in a writing system, it will just naturally emerge in it. You don’t need to switch to a certain system just because it has a concept your system doesn’t have.

Third, Roman numerals are still used today. They are used for numbering monarchs and popes, on watches and clocks (the Big Ben), copyright dates, sports (the Super Bowl and the Olympics), science, and politics. It’s very important to know and recognize Roman numerals with all the history and culture they contain.

Fourth, according to Britannica, “Most adults may have a basic understanding of what each of the Roman numeral symbols translates to in Arabic numerals.” It goes on to say “when it comes to deciphering large numbers written in Roman numerals, those same adults can find it a challenge.” Only having a basic understanding can be problematic, especially since these numerals are still used in many situations. Teaching them in school would allow us to understand all those numerals that look random to the average person.

Fifth, Roman numerals allow kids to learn how to add and subtract while learning their numbers. It teaches a built-in skill along with it. Teaching them in school would allow kids to also learn other parts of math at the same time.

Teach Them in School?

Now, moving on to Arabic numerals and if they should be taught in school. First we need to define what we mean by “taught” and “school.” Do we mean that kids school learn their numbers in school? If this is the case, I would argue they shouldn’t be taught them in school.

Kids already learn how to count by ages 2-3 and by 4-5 they can write Arabic numbers. (My source can be found here.) They wouldn’t need to learn how to do basic counting or writing once they are in school. Kingergarten typically begins at age 5. By this time, kids should already know how to read Arabic numbers. They should be learning these numerals at home, not school.

Problems with Writing

First, Arabic numerals often have variations, which could confuse students. For example, kids need to understand the difference between 0 and O, which might look too similar when written out. This also caused similar problems with coding and computers. This led to the classic slashed zero. While attempting to solve a problem for some, this ended up creating another problem down the road. The letter Ø is a Scandinavian vowel. Wikipedia says this practice is “very confusing for Danish‑ and Norwegian-speaking people,” and academic.com calls it “problematic” because “it means two of their letters—the O and slashed O (Ø)—are similar.” So much for zero being an advantage for Arabic numerals instead of Roman ones.

Second, there are regional variants of these Arabic numerals that exist. The number 1 has many variants, a simple line, a line with a hook, or a line with a hook and a base. 2 is sometimes turned into a curve. 4 has an open and closed variant. 

Third, if many of these numbers might be confused with other letters or numbers, especially when written:

1. We already talked about this: 0 and O being confused with each other.
2. Another example is 1 and 7 being confused or 1 looking the same as a capital I or lower-case L. Trying to make 1 look different from an I by adding a serif can make the 1 look more like a 7. This just leads to constant shift to avoid the confusion caused by the similarities. 
3. 2 can be confused with a Z. 
4. The open-top version of 4 become popular to distinguish it from 9, showing Arabic numerals can’t even look different from each other enough to avoid confusion. 
5. 6 can be mistaken for a capital G or a lower-case b.
6. 6 and 9 are just the same numbers but one is upside down. This forces dice and card games (which are often used to help teach kids numbers) to underline these numbers so they can tell which way is face-up.
7. 9 can be confused for a lower-case g.

The Opposition

According to Snopes, 56% of respondents to a survey from Civic Science said that Arabic numerals should not be taught in school:

Snopes is a website made to fact-check claims. That’s its job. It is widely regarded as reliable. Academichelp.net calls it “one of the most recognized fact-checking websites, relied on by journalists and readers for accurate information.”

Conclusion

Roman numerals should definitely be taught in schools more than they are right now. Kids should already recognize Arabic numerals by the time they reach age 5, which is when kindergarten begins. Arabic numbers often look like letters or other numbers, and trying to fix this from within only makes things more confusing. 

Since kids should already know them by the time they start school, we might as well remove them from teaching. They should learn them while at home. 

By removing them, we could teach them Roman numerals, which have lots of value even today. Many have trouble recognzing them, so adding them to school would help fix this problem.

Due to the confusion of writing I have shown in the Arabic numeral system, we may need a reformed standard version instead of leaving it up to individual interpretation of how to write a number or how to determine what number someone intended to write. Maybe we need an entirely new system. Who knows?

All pro can do is complain about Roman numerals being too hard. Pro cannot attack my actual arguments. I say we create a new reformed system due to the complexity of Arabic numerals.