Andrew Hacker: Is Algebra Necessary? (PUUUUUUUUKE)

[struggle4progress]

14. I taught math for many years. During that time, I never promoted the view

that music (say) or political science or biology or history or literature or spanish, or any other field of human knowledge, was worthless. But I did regularly encounter people who were willing to tell me that my subject was pointless or that those who taught it were sadistic eggheads or any of a number of other idiocies

I actually expect that most of the teachers of music or political science or biology or history or literature or spanish could tell me similar stories about idiotic attacks on the subjects they loved and taught

It's really time to start ignoring the loud noisy blowhards, who are convinced that all would be right in education, if only we would stop teaching children spanish (say) or music or math. Let's give kids an opportunity to get a good general knowledge base, and then they can pick intelligently where they want to go next