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> STEM exists because science, technology, engineering, and math don't get the focus they need in the standard US education system. Pretty much every HS kid in

> STEM exists because science, technology, engineering, and math don't get the focus they need in the standard US education system. Pretty much every HS kid in America is required to take at least 3 full years of math and science if not 4. How exactly are they not getting the focus over art? Schools are cutting art programs left and right in order to allocate more resources toward things that get covered on standardized tests.

eftychis 8y ago
3? (Kind of Sarcastic) wow! Every single year/quarter of a person's basic education includes math and science (physics and then biology and chemistry, then a bit of cs) where I am from. Thus, worst case scenario a person has spent 9 years on that stuff (among other topics sure). Sure I can see art does not get a lot of focus from what you are saying and I do not have experience in your system to say what the balance kept. But I can see if a school is running under budget and needs to reduce something that art/music is the first to go. Pity.
- tehwebguy 8y ago
  FYI HS is “high school” which is only 4 years long
  - TheCoelacanth 8y ago
    Also, prior to high school, kids are usually taking math and science classes at all times, so the absolute maximum would be one year without math and science.
    - eftychis 8y ago
      That's good. (Although what is the purpose of the off year?) Question: when you say science what does that incorporate?
  - eftychis 8y ago
    I got that. Although not clear if they meant senior high school or what not. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States It is a bit unclear to me when someone says high school in the U.S. if they imply junior or senior or none of the above.
    - echion 8y ago
      "High school" is the universally-accepted term in the US, and means four years before university. "Junior" high school is not a universal term, though exists in some areas. "Senior high school" is a term I've never heard before, appears uncited on that wikipedia page, and were I to say it to anyone I know they would look at me funny.
- 3rdAccount 8y ago
  25% being math and science might be a lot to you, but I think it should be closer to 50%.
  - eftychis 8y ago
    I think I kind of made the opposite comment (or you replied to the wrong comment not sure).
    - 3rdAccount 8y ago
      I think partly another comment and partly misreading yours lol, sorry about that. It is a pity that we can't all be perfectly rounded for sure. In the future, it'd be nice if you Kahn Academy everything starting in highschool and choose out of hundreds of courses on interest for the few electives you have.
3rdAccount 8y ago
Probably because taking 1 Math and 1 science a year is not nearly enough in the modern economy. I went to a really good high school and took all AP courses and was still blown away in college by those who came from schools with strong STEM programs. When I was struggling with robotics, programming, circuits, CAD work (small portion of the freshman engineering curriculum) they had very little trouble. Why? They had 4 years of engineering classes in high school which covered those subjects. They got to substitute many of their other classes out (classes which I would say are valuable, but less valuable). That is the value of STEM. When I was struggling freshman year i would have gladly traded my art, Spanish, physical education...etc classes for classes which would have better prepared me. I ended up graduating on time with a pretty good GPA, but it was more work than it had to be.
int_19h 8y ago
Speaking as a foreigner who asked many Americans what kind of math and physics they learn in school, you guys aren't doing anywhere near enough of both if you want to stay competitive. I've met college students who don't know what was middle school math for us - and not because they forgot.
- 3rdAccount 8y ago
  That's what i try to tell people and they just don't seem to understand how much of an impact this will have over the long term.

eftychis 8y ago

3? (Kind of Sarcastic) wow! Every single year/quarter of a person's basic education includes math and science (physics and then biology and chemistry, then a bit of cs) where I am from. Thus, worst case scenario a person has spent 9 years on that stuff (among other topics sure). Sure I can see art does not get a lot of focus from what you are saying and I do not have experience in your system to say what the balance kept. But I can see if a school is running under budget and needs to reduce something that art/music is the first to go. Pity.

tehwebguy 8y ago
FYI HS is “high school” which is only 4 years long
- TheCoelacanth 8y ago
  Also, prior to high school, kids are usually taking math and science classes at all times, so the absolute maximum would be one year without math and science.
  - eftychis 8y ago
    That's good. (Although what is the purpose of the off year?) Question: when you say science what does that incorporate?
- eftychis 8y ago
  I got that. Although not clear if they meant senior high school or what not. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States It is a bit unclear to me when someone says high school in the U.S. if they imply junior or senior or none of the above.
  - echion 8y ago
    "High school" is the universally-accepted term in the US, and means four years before university. "Junior" high school is not a universal term, though exists in some areas. "Senior high school" is a term I've never heard before, appears uncited on that wikipedia page, and were I to say it to anyone I know they would look at me funny.
3rdAccount 8y ago
25% being math and science might be a lot to you, but I think it should be closer to 50%.
- eftychis 8y ago
  I think I kind of made the opposite comment (or you replied to the wrong comment not sure).
  - 3rdAccount 8y ago
    I think partly another comment and partly misreading yours lol, sorry about that. It is a pity that we can't all be perfectly rounded for sure. In the future, it'd be nice if you Kahn Academy everything starting in highschool and choose out of hundreds of courses on interest for the few electives you have.

3rdAccount 8y ago

Probably because taking 1 Math and 1 science a year is not nearly enough in the modern economy. I went to a really good high school and took all AP courses and was still blown away in college by those who came from schools with strong STEM programs. When I was struggling with robotics, programming, circuits, CAD work (small portion of the freshman engineering curriculum) they had very little trouble. Why? They had 4 years of engineering classes in high school which covered those subjects. They got to substitute many of their other classes out (classes which I would say are valuable, but less valuable). That is the value of STEM. When I was struggling freshman year i would have gladly traded my art, Spanish, physical education...etc classes for classes which would have better prepared me. I ended up graduating on time with a pretty good GPA, but it was more work than it had to be.

int_19h 8y ago

Speaking as a foreigner who asked many Americans what kind of math and physics they learn in school, you guys aren't doing anywhere near enough of both if you want to stay competitive. I've met college students who don't know what was middle school math for us - and not because they forgot.

3rdAccount 8y ago
That's what i try to tell people and they just don't seem to understand how much of an impact this will have over the long term.