Dad challenges teacher's homework marking after son 'thinks outside the box'

A parent recently stirred debate on social media by critiquing a teacher's grading of his child's homework. The task was to form the smallest possible even numbers using given digits. The child submitted 012 from 210, and 058 from 650, receiving a score of 4/8. The teacher, however, assessed them as incorrect, stating that the correct responses were 102 and 506.

In his Reddit post, the father asked if others disagreed with the grading. A former math teacher responded, suggesting that the child’s creative thinking should be applauded and maybe rewarded with bonus points in a future task. This teacher also reflected that clearer instructions might prevent such discrepancies.

The dad humorously accepted the situation, proposing to treat his child to ice cream to convey life lessons about navigating rules and systems. Another teacher commented that unexpected but valid answers shouldn't result in mark deductions, recommending a discussion to clarify expectations versus outcomes.

One user highlighted the problem's ambiguity by indicating the teacher’s implicit expectation of three-digit answers, suggesting a clarification might be helpful. Another commenter pointed out the flawed question, asserting the child's answers are technically correct, embodying perhaps the best form of correctness there is.

Earlier, SSP wrote that stranded calf was rescued from the river Thames.