How Important Are Advanced Math & A Foreign Language Really?
As some of you know, I’m a parent of four teenagers and as the last two finish high school, I’m compelled to ask, how important are advanced math and a foreign language?
The requirements to receive a college bound high school diploma require advanced levels of math and 2 years of a foreign language and the questions looms…. Unless you are going into a science, engineering and a few other “select” fields will these kids ever really use this math or the foreign language?
I posed this EXACT question to one of my child’s teachers because other than 1 of my children who must’ve inherited my knack for numbers, my other children really struggle with math. The teacher’s answer was it’s not about math it’s about “critical thinking”, I call bullsh*t! I can see where it requires you to think out things, but that’s coming from someone who loved word problems from day 1 and stopped taking math in the 10th grade because they had no other courses to offer me after calculus.
The simple FACT, is most people NEVER use those advanced levels of math in their adult life. I really have a problem when these schools don’t teach children the fundamentals of math which will in turn aid them in excelling at all levels of math. Teachers these days are teaching kids, memorization techniques and how to pass tests, which sadly they usually never retain after passing these tests. It’s kind of a set-up in my opinion.
Next up, the foreign language requirement. I took 2 years of French and don’t remember anything other than “que’ est heur” (something to do with the time) or some random sh*t and I don’t even really remember that! If there was any requirement for a foreign language, I say it should be Spanish, because in a few years the Spanish people may wind up being the majority around here. But again, I say, why is this required?
I understand the “idea” that they want our children to be well rounded, yada, yada, yada but most Americans never travel outside the country. I think the way our education is run needs to be looked at and REVISED. I think there needs to be more diploma types so that kids can pick one that’s closer to their life plans. To require kids to complete something that has absolutely no interest to them to acquire a diploma that will enable them to seek higher education is RIDICULOUS.
Right now, kids who don’t fulfill these requirements are given the option of a high school certificate which basically states they attended high school but didn’t complete the requirements necessary to gain a college-bound diploma, which prohibits them from attending most 4 year schools, but that’s another blog altogether!
The question still remains, how important are advanced math and a foreign language?
K.I.M
i remember thiss onee………. good blog thou girl :-bd
