Dethrone Calculus, Coronate Statistics?

Under the suboptimal presumption that government schools should exist in the first place, there are a million ways to *improve* the teaching of math. Heck there are even strong arguments that the subject should be de-emphasized altogether.

I agree, of course, that calculus isn't practical for everyone.

BUT, for those it is....they should be learning it a lot sooner than age 17-18.

Opinion-heads, like the guy above, talk all the time about improving averages and the competency of the masses.

Meanwhile, those students really capable of soaring are neglected; they are grounded by age-graded classrooms, 1-on-30 instruction, curricula, and the tragedy of low expectations.

I was always considered a bit of a math whiz, being accelerated only a grade level or so.

But now I look like a Moron compared to the progress of my kids. The Prince reached 7th grade math at age 5.25 or so; and his sister is even ahead of his pace. I invoke that evidence whenever system apologists come at me with, "Hey C-Nut, you weren't homeschooled and you turned out fine."

I most certainly DID NOT. I've had to work like heck to undo the intellectual damage and deferred adulthood wrought on me by schooling.

The idea that swapping statistics for calculus at the *top of the pyramid* would have substantively changed the course or my life, anyone else's, no less the *economy* is ridiculous. Yeah, go on ahead and rearrange those Titanic deck chairs...

See also - Subtracting Math.