[popnbrown]

Honestly, this is why I am part of FIRST. While FIRST's stated goals are STEM related, the method of accomplishing this (vs. other organizations) creates opportunities for students to excel in other fields.

I am going to become an engineer, and many of the students I mentor have already become interested prior to joining the robotics team in being engineers. I see my role as instilling in them the same values I have learned in my experience on being a better person.

STEM in my view is still important, and dependent on arguments I would be willing to concede it is more important than other fields, but that is a situational conclusion.

Ideally, everything that everyone wants to do should be equally important, but in reality, there are things that are more important some times.

I also agree with D. Allred, the teacher seems to be more frustrated with the numbers focus rather than giving a true education. It does seem he isn't all that happy with the focus of STEM and I would disagree with the teacher about that. I don't think his subject is of less importance when you are developing a young mind, but outside of development and learning (real world) STEM has more problems to solve.