3 ms·
Is moving away from Calculus in high school such a bad idea? I took AP Calculus in high school and studied physics in undergrad so I've done a lot of calculus,
by cactus2093 5y ago
Is moving away from Calculus in high school such a bad idea?
I took AP Calculus in high school and studied physics in undergrad so I've done a lot of calculus, but it honestly seems like a pretty niche subject when I think about it. It's hard to think of any times that it's applicable in my life any more. Some of the concepts are very beautiful, but a lot of things like the rote solving of integrals to get to a closed form solution can get pretty tedious and can be done by computers these days anyway.
At the same time, I didn't take any statistics or computer science in high school and really only had my first introduction to programming in college. Both of these seem like topics that should be prioritized above calculus for most high school students.
- threatofrain 5y agoMathematical Statistics typically requires Calculus, both as an institutional and pedagogical requirement. It is understandable that some students do not wish to pursue further mathematical studies, but should that translate into the requirement that all students must be at the same level? Or that Algebra shall not be offered in middle school? Note that schools are already free to offer Statistics or Computer Science, neither of which are respected by universities. It is very difficult to create a program with sufficient reliability that universities are willing to accept some form of credits earned or requirements met.