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> SF school district has banned algebra in middle schools. Surely there are some kids who don't learn it in elementary school. Are they supposed to wait until

by zeroer 10y ago

> SF school district has banned algebra in middle schools. Surely there are some kids who don't learn it in elementary school. Are they supposed to wait until high school?

spullara 10y ago
My kids started algebra in elementary school as well. This is pathetic.
- Void_ 10y ago
  Haha, I'm from Central Europe and I competed in Maths Olympics since I was like 10. (Its a competition mostly in central/eastern europe). This was around 2000 and we didnt have internet at home yet. So there was nothing better to do. Little worried about future generations. But this is really pathetic. to ban algebra. I would leave the country.
  - vostok 10y ago
    > But this is really pathetic. to ban algebra. I would leave the country. If mathematics education at the pre-university level is a priority for you then I'm not sure that leaving the country is the best approach. https://www.imo-official.org/year_country_r.aspx?year=2016 https://www.imo-official.org/year_country_r.aspx?year=2016
    - throw123142 10y ago
      Elite results do not say much about average education. UK also scored high on olympiad, but average UK public school is much worse compared to Central Europe.
      - adrianN 10y ago
        It's a question about what you want to optimize for. I believe that societies need elites for progress. People who can really push things forward tend to be those with the highest innate ability who happen to have an education that pushes them to the limits of their ability. Optimizing schools to raise the minimum or the average education level seems to have the effect that the maximum suffers. There are great arguments why you'd want to raise the average education level, but I think sacrificing the best minds to this cause is short-sighted.
        dmaldona 10y ago
        But elite education is not attainable for all pocket sizes.
    - Void_ 10y ago
      So China and US are at the top - but it's same as Canada/Russia having best ice hockey players. There is a huge pool to select from.
  - zeroer 10y ago
    When some people know algebra and others don't, it creates inequality. We can't be having that.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

by zeroer 10y ago

> SF school district has banned algebra in middle schools. Surely there are some kids who don't learn it in elementary school. Are they supposed to wait until high school?

spullara 10y ago

My kids started algebra in elementary school as well. This is pathetic.

Void_ 10y ago
Haha, I'm from Central Europe and I competed in Maths Olympics since I was like 10. (Its a competition mostly in central/eastern europe). This was around 2000 and we didnt have internet at home yet. So there was nothing better to do. Little worried about future generations. But this is really pathetic. to ban algebra. I would leave the country.
- vostok 10y ago
  > But this is really pathetic. to ban algebra. I would leave the country. If mathematics education at the pre-university level is a priority for you then I'm not sure that leaving the country is the best approach. https://www.imo-official.org/year_country_r.aspx?year=2016 https://www.imo-official.org/year_country_r.aspx?year=2016
  - throw123142 10y ago
    Elite results do not say much about average education. UK also scored high on olympiad, but average UK public school is much worse compared to Central Europe.
    - adrianN 10y ago
      It's a question about what you want to optimize for. I believe that societies need elites for progress. People who can really push things forward tend to be those with the highest innate ability who happen to have an education that pushes them to the limits of their ability. Optimizing schools to raise the minimum or the average education level seems to have the effect that the maximum suffers. There are great arguments why you'd want to raise the average education level, but I think sacrificing the best minds to this cause is short-sighted.
      - dmaldona 10y ago
        But elite education is not attainable for all pocket sizes.
  - Void_ 10y ago
    So China and US are at the top - but it's same as Canada/Russia having best ice hockey players. There is a huge pool to select from.
- zeroer 10y ago
  When some people know algebra and others don't, it creates inequality. We can't be having that.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]