The role of mathematics in educational systems

In this paper, I will explain my views on education, particularly mathematics education, stressing my critique on the socio-cultural dimensions involved in mathematics education. The state of the world and ethical behavior play an important role in my critique. In exposing my views, the importance of my relationship with Hans-Georg Steiner will be clearly stated. In my memory, our discussions on these issues were very influential to my thinking. The importance of the support given by Hans-Georg to the development of mathematics education worldwide will be underlined. Both in the position of the chairman of the International Program Committee of ICME 3 and in the early years of the IDM in Bielefeld, Hans-Georg provided the material and intellectual space for the strengthening of Didactics of Mathematics as a research field. Following these preliminary remarks, I will briefly present the Program Ethnomathematics and explain how the program fits into what I call the modern trivium of literacy, matheracy and technoracy, which is a curriculum alternative for contemporary education.