By not teaching math to kids, we are dumbing down the next generation.
Of course, most people do not have a talent for math, but then most
people do not have a talent for writing either. A few hundered years
ago, only a small fraction of the population was taught to read and
write. If you had proposed hat everyone should learn it, you would have
been ridiculed.
The argument that we shouldn't teach math to children because it isn't
of direct use to most people, is a nonsensical argument. We don't apply
that argument to any school subject, except to math and physics
(perhaps also astronomy, we don't teach anything about that in school).
So, while there isn't much practical use in knowing a lot about Europe
in the Middle ages, we do spend quite a lot of time about this subject
already in primary school. This does add a lot to the cultural baggage
of children as they grow up. You can make the same argument about
astronomy, physics and math. Surely, being able to understand at some
appropriate level how the elements were formed in stars, how the Sun
formed etc. etc. would add a lot to the general background of citizens.
If people would not learn about history, literature, etc. a lot of our
culture would de-facto go to waste. If no one knows about the works of
Shakespeare, then it wouldn't matter if Shakespeare had not bothered to
write his plays.
In case of math and physics, we are actually in this sort of a
situation. The great masses are scientific illiterates, most of the
scientific achievements, even the ancient ones are inaccesible to most,
simply because we choose not teach science in schools, beyond the very
basics.
This does have some negative consequences for society. E.g. most people
cannot see through the nonsensical arguments put forward by climate
change deniers, the position people have on this is then determined by
their political color, (particularly in the US as there the Republican
party mostly denies global warming caused by man).
Saibal
Citeren Pilar Morales <[email protected]>:
I agree that math should probably not be taught in school, but algebra. In
elementary school. But, all the student's questions would lead to math...
On Sat, Aug 13, 2011 at 11:33 AM, John Mikes <[email protected]> wrote:
After a resounding "NO" the question: "who's math?" I find it absolutely
inevitable to include in the obligatory general school curriculum "a
certain" math, necessary to calculate, to balance a check-book, to file a
tax return, to make (basic) business accounting and the practical 'figuring
out' of life's quantitative aspects. Not the Euler theorem, or a Cauchy
integral. Also a glimps of concepts like imaginary, complex, infinite,
calculus, etc. not to the level of application, but at least to a dictionary
identification.
I find it belonging to a general educational level, way above of the
average newscast<G>.
There are many kids with definite 'antitalent' for math, they should not be
tortured, just taught conceptually. It should not be a go/no go for college,
in general. Somebody can write beautiful historic poems, paint, or write a
symphony without calculus-knowledge.
A heart-surgeon can operate without knowing the math of a
pacemaker-physics.
And it may be a 'godsend' if economists would not be mathematicians, rather
normal, logical people.
Anyway the "pretty girls" are no real authorities in the question.
On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 10:03 PM, meekerdb <[email protected]> wrote:
**
Are you the kind of person who knows math?
http://videosift.com/video/Miss-USA-2011-Should-Math-Be-Taught-In-Schools
Brent
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