MISSION
STATEMENT
Lord Bertrand Russell - a close friend and supporter of
Albert Einstein - once said: "When I was young I liked
mathematics. When this became too difficult for me I took
to philosophy and when philosophy became too difficult I
took to politics." This sarcastic remark by one of
the most significant figures in the 20th century science
sums up the current situation with the physics and mathematics
education in our country and defines the single most important
reason for the problem facing our children: mathematics
is a difficult subject! In fact, it is one of the most difficult
subjects and requires of the teacher either absolute mastery
or, as Lord Russell correctly noted, politics as a cover
for incompetence. We propose that instead of talking about
science we study it. It is going to be difficult and will
require effort, passion and dedication. Without hard work,
there is no hope for a student to accomplish anything in
science. It is impossible to make math easy independent
of how often many deceitful textbooks make such claims.
However, there is a way to make the student of mathematics
so competent and knowledgeable that math will reveal all
its secrets.
Mathematics is a most authoritarian subject!
It does not tolerate any second-guessing or incompetent
opinions. That is why every mathematical form, equation,
theorem, and definition is so beautiful and complete.
However paradoxical it may sound, but it is precisely
this rigid structure of mathematics that opens up an unprecedented
field for true creativity and provides clear understanding
of the goal and the ways to achieve it.
Information and knowledge are not interchangeable
concepts! While the European academic school emphasizes
knowledge, the U.S. educators went the other way: for
some odd reason preference was given to information over
education. Information is a hodgepodge of facts, which
more often than not are unrelated and imply no system.
Information projected onto a background of fundamental
analytical and practical skills essential for building
a systemic and logical sequence is knowledge. AIMS offers
knowledge, not merely information.
American children are as capable and are
as bright as any of their foreign peers! End this nonsense
talk about the imaginary inability of our children to
concentrate and their supposed need for some special game-based
educational methods. This is all a complete fraud. Perhaps
it is we - the adults - and not our children who have
the problem with concentration. For five years, AIMS'
teachers had the opportunity to monitor their American
students and determined that the overwhelming majority
of them, in all age groups, are eager and entirely capable
of facing the most difficult educational challenges. It
is our purpose to enable our students to achieve true
success. The goal of AIMS is to enable its students to
compete with what the best foreign educational systems
have to offer.
The right curriculum is the key to success!
Without a well-designed, comprehensive program for mastering
any subject, not even a good teacher will be able to help.
Only a complete approach to education will enable students
to make real progress and bring within reach the primary
objective of learning mathematics and physics in school:
to prepare for the fast-paced, technology-driven world
of the future. Knowledge of mathematics and physics is
the ticket into this new world and AIMS is wholly committed
to get our children this ticket. They deserve it!
Now, dear parent, it is up to you to decide
if you want to go with AIMS and if you are ready to face
the challenge of preparing your child for the future.
It is up to you as a parent to prove the fundamental statement
of the Age of Enlightenment: only the educated are truly
free.
