"This second series will be devoted to the reform and development of mathematical instruction; it will publish articles focusing on and explaining modern theories in a manner comprehensible to non-specialised mathematicians; deal with the arrangement and organisation of teaching; study the psychological formation of mathematical ideas; and publish accounts of the work done and surveys carried out by the ICMI" (EM II s., I, 1955, 270-271)On the occasion of the Geneva meeting a symposium is organised to commemorate the important work undertaken by H. Fehr for the ICMI (1908-1954) and in directing L'Enseignement mathématique.
"L'organisation actuelle de la CIEM est assez complexe et certaines difficultés surgissent parfois, en particulier en ce qui concerne l'envoi de circulaires et de documents aux différents pays. Il serait nécessaire de procéder à une révision des statuts, ou moins de préciser certains points concernant, entre autres, les relations entre le Comité Executif et les Sous-Commissions nationales. M. Hopf, Président de l'UMI a fait connaître a M. Behnke qu'une petite commission pour la révision des statuts de la CIEM avait été constitué; elle comprend MM. le Professeurs Koksma (Amsterdam), Hopf, Behnke et Stone et un autre représentant de la CIEM qui doit être choisi par le Comité; sur la proposition de M. Behnke, M. Desforge est désigné pour faire partie de cette commission" (ICMI Archives 14A 1955-1957, 33)
"an active interpenetration of methods, domains, topics, is of great importance and usefulness... In the teaching process, the hands are to be active (writing, showing), the tongue, ears, brain, i.e. all organs are more or less in active interdependence and co-operation. Let us remember that for a long time, even in instruction of geometry, and still more in arithmetic, the factors action and perception were either eliminated or at least neglected" (p. 570)In section VIII, dedicated to History and Education, ample space is reserved to the ICMI.
"All will admit that Piaget's research is highly interesting. But it is quite another thing to apply his results to teaching mathematics, firstly because Piaget's mathematical background has been rather weak, but mainly because Piaget's approach hardly reflects the teaching situation in the classroom, but the rather unusual laboratory situation of the psychologist. Mathematical teaching theory can be furthered by mathematical teachers who are able mathematicians and able educators" (EM II s., V, 1960, p. 139)At the initiative of the ICMI is presented an exhibit of books, journals, and documents (some 2000 works from 17 countries) relative to the teaching of mathematics at the secondary level. The organisation and layout of the exhibit is directed by Inspector Dolmazon of the Institut Pédagogique National in Paris (EM II s., IV, 1958, pp. 223-228).
"If the whole program I have in mind had to be summarised in one slogan it would be: Euclid must go! ... If we had a curriculum at last freed from the dead-weigh of "pure geometry", what would we put in its place?... I would list the following ones:. (Cf. New Thinking in School Mathematics, op. cit., pp. 35, 38)
- Matrices and determinants of order 2 and 3.
- Elementary calculus (functions of one variable).
- Construction of the graph of a function and of a curve given in parametric form (using derivatives)
- Elementary properties of complex numbers.
- Polar co-ordinates"