Liberal Democrat says Algebra is not necessary

[Asher]

It's not really deciding the future IMO - a lot of jobs that require a college degree should not.

Deciding that someone at 14 is too dumb for a high school diploma and college and should do a specific trde is pretty close to deciding their future.

[Felch]

I read this, and he made a few good points. Education should work to the benefit of the student, and not simply be a ****ty thing to have to live through. Many people aren't interested in algebra, won't need it in their jobs, and would be better served with more vocational training.

Remember that a hundred years ago everybody had to learn Latin and Greek to be considered educated. Things have changed before, and they'll change again.

[Al B. Sure!]

The issue is not with algebra per se, but the overall difficulty level of high school. What he says is also true of languages - no matter how hard you try, some people just can't spell.

Finishing high school should be an accomplishment, not a given. Redirect those who can't (due to either social or natural sciences) to trades as early as 14-15 yo.

Equality 7-2521

[giblets]

Yes, what kind of dystopian collectivist hellhole doesn't teach Algebra to every single 14-year-old?

[loinburger]

Hey Albie, how often do you use algebra while working as a bellboy?

[C0ckney]

The issue is not with algebra per se, but the overall difficulty level of high school. What he says is also true of languages - no matter how hard you try, some people just can't spell.

Finishing high school should be an accomplishment, not a given. Redirect those who can't (due to either social or natural sciences) to trades as early as 14-15 yo.

i agree with this. at 14 it's pretty clear which children are suited to a more academic education and which would be better served by a more practical one.

[Al B. Sure!]

i agree with this. at 14 it's pretty clear which children are suited to a more academic education and which would be better served by a more practical one.

I disagree. There's too many kids that change in the teenage years. Some people don't get serious about academics until undergrad or even later! And then they blossom.

[C0ckney]

i'm sure that happens in some cases, but i'm not convinced it's very common. i remember in my school there were a fair number of pupils who were just completely fed up with school by about 14 and no doubt the teachers couldn't wait to see the back of them as well. they were made to sit through another two years, learning very little because they weren't interested and naturally some them would disrupt the class, making it harder for everyone to learn. maybe one or two got serious during those two years, but majority drifted through, learning nothing and then left with few/no qualifications and a hatred of education.

it would have been much better if instead of sitting there bored out of their skulls while someone explained to them about social history during the first world war, someone could have been showing them how to take a car engine apart, or build circuits, or how plumbing works etc. they'd have found it more interesting and actually learnt something useful.

[Asher]

i'm sure that happens in some cases, but i'm not convinced it's very common. i remember in my school there were a fair number of pupils who were just completely fed up with school by about 14 and no doubt the teachers couldn't wait to see the back of them as well. they were made to sit through another two years, learning very little because they weren't interested and naturally some them would disrupt the class, making it harder for everyone to learn. maybe one or two got serious during those two years, but majority drifted through, learning nothing and then left with few/no qualifications and a hatred of education.

it would have been much better if instead of sitting there bored out of their skulls while someone explained to them about social history during the first world war, someone could have been showing them how to take a car engine apart, or build circuits, or how plumbing works etc. they'd have found it more interesting and actually learnt something useful.

Why can't they do both?

In our traditional high school, you can take mechanics, electronics, etc.

If you're so inclined, you can also request a transfer to a "vocational high school" which is ~75% trades development and 25% "life skills".

[Al B. Sure!]

I actually think students don't learn enough to be educated voters. There's no economics in high school, the civics is insufficient, etc. Knowledge of those are necessary to make informed decisions in the democratic process.

Frankly, as is, high school doesn't equip people to think period, let alone not providing them with the appropriate knowledge base.

[giblets]

I remember a semester of Economics being required in high school. Of course, with four years of English being required but only three years of math, they must have had messed up priorities according to Al

[C0ckney]

i remember we had an electronics class in my school. it was crap, and really there wasn't enough time (1 hour per week) to learn a great deal. in fact i think we had to share the time with 'wood tech' as well, so we did a term of each and then something else (i've actually forgotten what) in the other term.

i'm saying that there is a limited about of time and resources. i would like to see more specialisation, pupils choosing a route at 14, so that they can have an education which they find interesting and useful.

edit: x-post responding to asher.

[Al B. Sure!]

I remember a semester of Economics being required in high school. Of course, with four years of English being required but only three years of math, they must have had messed up priorities according to Al

We had no economics but had the choice of either drama or philosophy. We had 4 years of English, 4 years of foreign language, and 4 years of math. How did you only have 3 years of math? Algebra II, Geometry, Trig, Calculus is the standard 4-year high school progression.

And I have no idea what that rolleyes smiley is about.

[Al B. Sure!]

i remember we had an electronics class in my school. it was crap, and really there wasn't enough time (1 hour per week) to learn a great deal. in fact i think we had to share the time with 'wood tech' as well, so we did a term of each and then something else (i've actually forgotten what) in the other term.

i'm saying that there is a limited about of time and resources. i would like to see more specialisation, pupils choosing a route at 14, so that they can have an education which they find interesting and useful.

edit: x-post responding to asher.

Yeah because 14 year olds know what they want to do for the rest of their lives.

[C0ckney]

another great argument there al.