Solve for x. Graph x. Dissect x. All the kings horses and all the kings men could not figure out what x was equal to, but you’re going to have to.
The school thinks it iss extremely important for everyone to know how to do such math-y things, though, or at least know how to do them for the test and then forget all of it. Three credits of math are required for graduation(usually Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry), and, according to this years handbook, the class of 2010 will have to have four.
Most college degrees require college algebra, as well, and plenty of students struggle through the subject until they pass, then toss their books and notes away, happy that it iss finally over with. For something that is in blunt terms useless in life outside of the academic world, math causes a lot more trouble and expense than it is worth. Advanced math does not need to be taught to students who have absolutely no interest or aptitude in it.
Not to say that math is not important, because it definitely is. Math is pretty much everywhere: engineering, electricity, medicine, and no one could argue that society could really function without it. What can be argued, though, is that most people who use the stuff that math helps make do not know much of anything about said math, and they do not need to.
There are professionals who know the math behind it, who are good at it, and keep things running pretty well without a society of slope-savvy citizens. There are going to keep being experts like that; they will not know their math any less than those before them, why should all of the other people need to know more?
The school and students would benefit if math requirements were lowered. For one thing, there would be a lot of money, time, and energy saved on both sides. Fewer textbooks for the school and less stress and agony for the students. Math teachers could spend more time with students who want to learn math and who are pursuing a career that involves it.
For other students, basic math used in everyday life should be focused on more, instead of such complex things as graphing hyperbolas and solving systems of equations with three variables. It would be more prudent to make sure students know how to balance their checkbooks and figure percentages on sale items: skills that will actually be used outside of the classroom. Basic algebra and geometry skills should be focused on more, also. Making sure the kids have mastered the foundation skills would be much wiser than pushing them right along into the complexities of Algebra II and Trigonometry.
School is hard enough. Jumping through one more hoop(or is it an ellipse?) makes it that much more difficult, and it does not need to be.