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I think calculus and trigonometry shouldn't be taught to non-math majors. You have the perspective of someone who is passionate about calculus, which is great,

I think calculus and trigonometry shouldn't be taught to non-math majors. You have the perspective of someone who is passionate about calculus, which is great, but considering many people aren't as passionate, what you're suggesting (status quo) doesn't work. Or maybe you have ideas on teaching calculus better than how it's currently done? Calculus is obviously extremely important, but I don't think it's useful to drill a few things that most people will quickly forget after the test. I do think logic is important, and teaching that instead of focusing on math proofs might be a good alternative.

dchftcs 5y ago
No, most of STEM should learn calculus at some point. In engineering and physics they are useful; in CS, chemistry and biology they are reasonable foundational knowledge and used in some specializations. Trigonometry is used even in some of the trades. For science-oriented high school curriculums, calculus is necessary, and should only be optional in a few cases where the student already really knows what they want to do. By the time a student wants to specialize at say 20, they should have already had some foundational ability for that specialty, otherwise they wouldn't be able to compete internationally. For people who don't end up using calculus, it's a waste, but there is a trade-off. As a result, much of the high school curriculum is to build a broad foundation to prepare for multiple possible specializations.