A political science professor who released a book arguing that algebra is pretty much useless has kick-started a serious debate over whether it should still be taught on school curriculums.
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Professor Andrew Hacker wrote ‘The Math Myth and Other STEM Delusions’, explaining that requiring students to pass a course in basic algebra as a graduation requirement in the States is a “cruel deterrent” that causes millions of students to drop out of high school.
He told the Associated Press:
One out of 5 young Americans does not graduate from high school. This is one of the worst records in the developed world. Why? The chief academic reason is they failed ninth-grade algebra.
He also argues that only 5% of all jobs — maybe less — require algebra or any form of advanced math, so it’s basically pointless. He reckons students should still be presented with a math curriculum, just one that concentrates on statistics and number sense as opposed to algebra.
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Honestly, I’d love to rip the US for this but the truth is I’m backing this idea 100%. That might have to do with the fact that I was really shit at Maths in school.
Still Professor Hacker has a point — algebra is totally useless. How many times can you say you’ve used algebra in your life? OK you could argue that doing algebra is a kind of brain gymnastics that makes you smarter, but surely there are other, more useful ways of learning that will also make you smarter. When are you ever going to have to find what x or y means in the real world? Never, that’s when.
P.S. I fully accept my opinion for this stands for F all because like I said — shit at maths. Even the type of maths found in North Korean textbooks.
