"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Hawke" wrote

My point was that only in a small number of instances does the need for
this
kind of mathematics become useful. Knowing it is great when you have to
have
the knowledge to solve a specific problem. But does everyone need to
take
calculus every year in high school? As the situations where this kind of
information is so small and in such specialized areas wouldn't students
be
better off learning something that would be useful to all of them?
American
students certainly don't take that amount of math. Have we made up a
lousy
curriculum for our students or have the Asians done it wrong? When the
goal
of education is to teach people what they will have a use for in their
lives
does a lot of higher math achieve that goal? I'd say no.

Hawke

I guess the alternative is just to give students attendance certificates
and
let them excel in texting in chatroomese. I would prefer students with
such
a basic knowledge of math that they can make change for a fast food order,
and calculate SIMPLE things. With that knowledge of math, if they ever do
get into algebraic or trigonometric problems, they would have the abc's to
form mathematical words.

But that's just me. My kids are college graduates and not living at home,
even though they are 26 and 30.

YMMV

Steve


I wouldn't speak too soon if I were you. There is still time for them to
boomerang if things go wrong.

Hawke