why states and school districts require four years of math and four years of science, and that is to CREATE a "dropout" class to do cheap labor by denying students high school diplomas when they CAN'T do algebra or higher-level science.
Not only do few jobs even require higher math and science skills, but few students or adults have the abstract thinking ability to tackle higher math and science courses. Furthermore, shoving a college track on students is totally wrongheaded; there should be FAR more emphasis on vocational training because the vast majority of jobs don't require any formal training beyond a high school diploma.
Where I taught, kids in the SEVENTH grade were being taught algebra or pre-algebra, courses that weren't taught until tenth grade when I was in high school in the early 1970s. Consequently, dozens of kids have been put into special education as having "disabilities" because they are simply normal kids being forced into inappropriate classes at too young an age.
School districts, kowtowing to business demands and "standards" mania, are forcing algebraic concepts on kids even in elementary school. This is nothing short of criminal.
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3 comments:
OMG,I so agree with this article. I struggled with algebra in high school and now I have kids in school who have this hard stuff crammed down their throats since elementary school. My one child has Aspergers and currently is having difficulty comprehending what use to be 5th grade math and he's only in second grade. They gave algebra to my other child in 7th grade and she barely understood it but managed to pass. Vocational schools are wonderful alternatives to expensive colleges and let's face it, kids coming out of college today can't find work in their chosen field yet a kid can find work as an apprentice plumber for a reasonably good wage in an occupation that will always be in demand.
I find the teaching of algebriac concepts in the elementary grades SO appalling. The "standards" movement, no doubt backed by business interests, began in the 1980s with this push for college-level nonsense, and upping and upping the requirements for graduation from high school, making it more and more difficult for students to make the grade.
I also hated the trend towards "whole language" instruction, which attempted to divorce reading from other important parts of language instruction, including grammar, writing, and spelling. ALL of the language arts are important. I hated the fact Ken Goodman, a high school teacher, I believe he was before polluting academia, wanted to shove high school-style language arts instruction onto elementary kids. What happened was the skills were ignored in favor of enrichment. Without the skills, however, one can't enjoy literature at all.
Vocational education is absolutely critical in high school education, and more money should go towards it.
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