Mum shares 'unfair' question on daughter's homework - and nobody can work out the answer

24 June 2019, 11:49

Can you work it out?
Can you work it out? Picture: Getty

A mum was completely stumped by an 'unfair' question on her eight-year-old daughter's homework

A mum was left completely baffled by a bizarre question on her daughter's homework - and nobody can work out how to solve it.

Dusty Sappington had no idea how to help eight-year-old Izzie after she asked for her help - and they ended up just putting a question mark in the answer box.

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The question reads: "Janell has 15 marbles. She lost some of them. How many does Janell have now?"

Posting on the Facebook group Love What Matters, Dusty wrote: "My name is Dusty Sappington and I'm the mother of two (3rd Grader, Izzy and 5th grader, Davis).

Facebook users were baffled by the question
Facebook users were baffled by the question. Picture: Facebook

"Izzy is an 8 year-old with dyslexia; and attends a private school that teaches both traditional classrooms and specializes in learning disabilities, like dyslexia and autism." 

She also shared a picture of the question, and nobody could work out how to solve it.

One person wrote: "Today I learned that I’d possibly score less than some 3rd graders on math homework. I used to be so confident and cocky."

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Another added: “Well. It would have to be 15 – X, where 15 <= X >= 1. She can’t lose more than she started with, and losing something implies at least 1."

Thankfully, however, the mum sought the help of a teacher at the school.

She added: "I spoke to her teacher today and found out the answer to her homework question was to 'come up with her own answer.'

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"Her answer, the question mark, was not considered wrong."

The mum was baffled by the confusing question
The mum was baffled by the confusing question. Picture: Getty

However, many people were not satisfied with the teacher's explanation, with one writing: "And they wonder why we have kids with literacy and numeracy problems."

Another added: "That is just crazy and confusing for kids."