Some years ago, I got an appointment as Head of the Department of the Pre-Entry Science Course at the Technical University of Balgravia. The Department enrolled the best students from different schools in the country. The Department’s goal was to find students’ gaps in their knowledge of science subjects and bring them up to university standards. It was a pleasure to work in an exotic country on such challenging issues and for such a noble goal.

Once, when I passed a classroom where a classmate was teaching mathematics, I heard the voice of the students counting: 4,597, 4,598, 4,599… At that time, I did not pay much attention to it. But after three days, behind the doors of the same classroom, I heard: 13 127, 13 128, 13 129…

“My friend,” I asked Mr. S. a little later in the hallway, “what’s going on in the classroom during your math lessons?”

“Well, my students are counting to a million,” he replied.

“Hmm,” I mumbled and left.

Then, on the stairs, I realized the meaning of his words. I went to my office. Looking at my wristwatch, I counted to a hundred. I took a calculator. I calculated that in 50 minutes they would count up to 5,000, in a week (5 lessons) up to 25,000 and at the end of the school year they would not even reach 800,000 because of the holidays and because the numbers got longer.

I called Mr. S. “Do you realize what you’re doing with your count?”

“This is a modern way of introducing a certain concept. Firstly, I make my students realize how huge the number million is. Then secondly, we get great satisfaction from being first. I think, So far, no one has.” counted up to a million! Today’s world rewards those who are first in anything!
I hope that the class will be in the “Guinness Book of Records” and thirdly, I am testing if the students can count to a million! The statement: “I can count to a million” is worthless until tested experimentally, that is, by the process of actually counting.”

I got angry. “Enough is enough!” I yelled. “I order you to teach according to the curriculum!”

The next day, I stealthily approached his classroom. The students recited: 17,999, 18,000, 18,001… I decided to fire Mr. S. Discreetly, I warned my superiors that Mr. S. was probably crazy. The message was spread. The university community decided that I was against the introduction of modern teaching methods, that I did not understand results-based education, and that I felt personal animosity towards our colleague. My two-year contract expired and was not renewed… I dropped out of college.

After a month, I returned to the Department to visit my friend, the English tutor.
Of all the classrooms where mathematics classes were taught (not only
Mr. S.’s classroom), I heard the voices of the students recounting:

277 238, 277 239, 277 240…