From STEM to STeN, including economy & Numeracy

Numeracy as Math with Units where Addition folds while Multiplication holds may make all Youth Numerate by 2030

Economics gives a core Understanding and Use of Numbers and Calculations in Primary School

Their basic meanings show geometry and algebra as rooted in economics. So, STEM should change to STeN including economics and Numeracy.

In Greek, geometry means to measure earth. And in Arabic, algebra means to reunite numbers. So, they have a common root in the basic economic question “How to divide the earth, and what it produces?”

A hunter-gatherer needs not tell the different degrees of many apart.

But a farmer does since here you produce to a market. And there, you need to be numerate to answer the question “How many in total?”

Which immediately leads to the answer “That depends on the unit.”

Units Matter. STeN and children all use units. Math does not and must go.

Can a Math with Units secure Numeracy for All?
Reviewer’s comment to a Paper for 2025 EARCOME 9 in Korea

“This proposal tackles an urgently needed conversation in mathematics education by challenging deeply ingrained assumptions about number systems and arithmetic instruction and proposing a truly decolonized approach that foregrounds learners’ intuitive “bundle‑number” language.

Its strength lies in weaving together a compelling theoretical critique—drawing on Habermas’s colonization concept and rich philosophical underpinnings—with concrete instructional innovations like the Algebra Square that reframe operations as intuitive spatial and bundling processes.

By aligning this reconceptualization directly with SDG 4’s numeracy targets and illustrating how multiplication‑centered reasoning better reflects real‑world number use, the paper promises to make a bold and impactful contribution to both research and practice.

We look forward to seeing how this work can reshape numeracy instruction and foster truly inclusive mathematical literacy for all.”