Yes, the discussions on math regarding high school always seem strange to me. There is a lot of talk about the relevance of calculus and trigonometry (which I p

Yes, the discussions on math regarding high school always seem strange to me. There is a lot of talk about the relevance of calculus and trigonometry (which I personally think are relevant and should be understood, trigonometry is required for woodworking and crafts for example), but the reality is that regardless of whatever classes they have supposedly passed the typical high school graduate has just basic arithmetic skills and many have a competency level below that, requiring a calculator in order to make change from a dollar. They have third grade level skills and nothing more. But the reality is that basic arithmetic skills are taught well and rapidly throughout the rest of the industrialized world. There are various reasons for it and the parents are not to blame, nor are "higher standards" and homework the answer. For kids that are 17 and can't reduce a fraction the answer is not to require them to take calculus next. Alas, by the time one is 14 it is too late to be learning the basics. There is no excuse to be spending so many hours in school and have students that are passed on year after year without knowing basic math and reading skills, and the usual big talk from politicians about high standards won't fix what is wrong.