Is Algebra Necessary?

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

Because not once has anyone likened anything in a briefing to the Habsburg rein of Austria. Also, I used that in the sense that it has no real-life use outside of high school for most people.

I find the whole "look at this aspect of the course that I haven't used" argument very disingenuous. Most people do (or, in reality, should) use the knowledge learned in history classes in their political behavior. Even if certain pieces of information never come to fruitition, others (and more importantly themes and historical trends) most certainly will.

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

I realize that isn't the full premise of the article (though a generous portion of the article is precisely that, complaining that math is too hard). However, his whole argument is based on the fact that students aren't doing well in Math. If students were able to grasp algebra easily, this article would have never been written in the first place. The author is a prime example of someone who advocates the "dumbing down" of America just like No Child Left Behind. Algebra is something that many middle schoolers (including myself) took. It's not too much to ask of someone in high school to be able to take it either. High school today is no longer about educating students, but giving them a degree to get them out of the door....a McDiploma.

A large portion of the article is indeed spent on the fact that students aren't passing algebra. That portion of the article served to demonstrate that a problem exists. Unless you're advocating that high failure rates are the desired outcome, I don't see how you can take offense to that. The solution to that problem, however, was not to "dumb down" education or give out "McDiplomas," but rather to adapt our educational system. The article is not advocating easier classes, simply different ones. If anything, it's suggesting the opposite of "McDiplomas," as the author is calling for more specialized math courses that apply more directly to different career fields.