How Much Math Do We Really Need?

Pickens writes "G.V. Ramanathan, a professor emeritus of mathematics, statistics and computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, writes in the Washington Post that although a lot of effort and money has been spent to make mathematics seem essential, unlike literature, history, politics and music, math has little relevance to everybody's daily life. 'All the mathematics one needs in real life can be learned in early years without much fuss,' writes Ramanathan. 'Most adults have no contact with math at work, nor do they curl up with an algebra book for relaxation.' Ramanathan says that the marketing of math has become similar to the marketing of creams to whiten teeth, gels to grow hair and regimens to build a beautiful body, but even with generous government grants over the past 25 years, countless courses, conferences, and books written on how to teach teachers to teach, where is the evidence that these efforts have helped students? A 2008 review by the Education Department found that the nation is at 'greater risk now' than it was in 1983, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress math scores for 17-year-olds have remained stagnant since the 1980s (PDF). Meanwhile those who do love math and science have been doing very well and our graduate schools are the best in the world. 'As for the rest, there is no obligation to love math any more than grammar, composition, curfew or washing up after dinner. Why create a need to make it palatable to all and spend taxpayers' money on pointless endeavors without demonstrable results or accountability?'"

Comments

Re:What we do/don't need in Calculus.

[hobo sapiens]

"It even harms the kids who are good at math and want to do it because the teacher has to slow down for the kids who have no talent for math, aren't going to go into a math related profession and shouldn't be forced to learn about the square roots of negative numbers or quadratic equations.
"

I was thinking something similar. In high school, the most frustrating classes were math classes. Why? Because the doofuses who were forced to take 3 years of math kept us from doing anything new for the entire first semester. I got so bored in those classes. Algebra 1 was basic math for the first half, and algebra 2 was half of algebra 1. Never got through the textbooks, ever. It was so frustrating. To think I could have advanced and saved time and money in college. Maybe should have taken AP classes.

I am sure there a lot of bright children in school who feel the same way. How many of them are sitting bored in class, losing interest? How many of them won't really get the education they'd like because of other people too stupid to keep up or remember something over the summer?

Most people don't need the math. As a software engineer, I the most advanced math I have had to use was Trig. Algebra and geometry aren't really used directly BUT the thought process taught in those classes is invaluable to a software developer. But the kids who went on to become salesmen, tradesmen, gravediggers, businessmen, etc, will never use any of it.

Math is enriching but most people neither need nor want that. I say let em be.