Why study anything at all? After all, a formal education does not guarantee success later on in life.
I would think that it is unfair to force anyone to study any subject at an advanced level unless they see a need / use for it later on or just would like to learn it (such freaks do exist). But a basic grounding in all subjects is necessary and thats the point of school, to introduce one to a wide array of subjects. The idea is that when all the crammed knowledge has leaked out of your head a few years later, you would atleast retain the ability to add/subtract etc without frantically looking for a calculator and be able to figure how much to pay your housekeeper when he took 5 days off in a month and then worked a few half days. This entire mindset of dismissing learning of any kind is scary to me. --- Udhay Shankar N <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The Washington Post on the "value" of algebra. While I have some > sympathy for the individuals mentioned, I do not agree with this > position, and I think that one can hardly be surprised at the drop in > scientific literacy in the US (inter alia) if this is a widespread > mindset. The repercussions are left as an exercise for the reader. > > Udhay > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2006/02/15/BL2006021501989.html > > What Is the Value of Algebra? > > By Richard Cohen > Thursday, February 16, 2006; 12:00 AM > > I am haunted by Gabriela Ocampo. > > Last year, she dropped out of the 12th grade at Birmingham High > School > in Los Angeles after failing algebra six times in six semesters, > trying > it a seventh time and finally just despairing over ever getting it. > So, > according to the Los Angeles Times, she "gathered her textbooks, > dropped them at the campus book room and, without telling a soul, > vanished from Birmingham High School." > > Gabriela, this is Richard: There's life after algebra. > > In truth, I don't know what to tell Gabriela. The L.A. school > district > now requires all students to pass a year of algebra and a year of > geometry in order to graduate. This is something new for Los Angeles > (although 17 states require it) and it is the sort of vaunted > education > reform that is supposed to close the science and math gap and make > the > U.S. more competitive. All it seems to do, though, is ruin the lives > of > countless kids. In L.A., more kids drop out of school on account of > algebra than any other subject. I can hardly blame them. > > I confess to be one of those people who hate math. I can do my basic > arithmetic all right (although not percentages) but I flunked algebra > (once), barely passed it the second time -- the only proof I've ever > seen of divine intervention -- somehow passed geometry and resolved, > with a grateful exhale of breath, that I would never go near math > again. I let others go on to intermediate algebra and trigonometry > while I busied myself learning how to type. In due course, this came > to > be the way I made my living. Typing: Best class I ever took. > > Here's the thing, Gabriela: You will never need to know algebra. I > have > never once used it and never once even rued that I could not use it. > You will never need to know -- never mind want to know -- how many > boys > it will take to mow a lawn if one of them quits halfway and two more > show up later -- or something like that. Most of math can now be done > by a computer or a calculator. On the other hand, no computer can > write > a column or even a thank-you note -- or reason even a little bit. If, > say, the school asked you for another year of English or, God forbid, > history, so that you actually had to know something about your world, > I > would be on its side. But algebra? Please. > > Gabriela, sooner or later someone's going to tell you that algebra > teaches reasoning. This is a lie propagated by, among others, algebra > teachers. Writing is the highest form of reasoning. This is a fact. > Algebra is not. The proof of this, Gabriela, is all the people in my > high school who were whizzes at math but did not know a thing about > history and could not write a readable English sentence. I can cite > Shelly, whose last name will not be mentioned, who aced algebra but > when called to the board in geography class, located the Sahara > Desert > right where the Gobi usually is. She was off by a whole continent. > > Look, Gabriela, I am not anti-algebra. It has its uses, I suppose, > and > I think it should be available for people who want to take it. Maybe > students should even be compelled to take it, but it should not be a > requirement for graduation. There are those of you, and Gabriela you > are one, who know what it is like to stare at an algebra problem > until > you have eyeballed a hole in the page and not understand a thing > you're > seeing . There are those of us who know the sweat, the panic, the > trembling, cold fear that comes from the teacher casting an eye in > your > direction and calling you to the blackboard. It is like being > summoned > to your own execution. > > Almost 20 years ago, I wrote a similar column about algebra. Math > teachers struck back with a vengeance. They made so many claims for > algebra's intrinsic worth that I felt, as I once had in class, like a > dummy. Once again, I just didn't get it. Still, in the two decades > since, I have lived a pretty full life and never, ever used -- or > wanted to use -- algebra. I was lucky, though. I had graduated from > high school and gone on to college. It's different for you, Gabriela. > Algebra ruined many a day for me. Now it could ruin your life. > > > >
