“One third of 18 to 24-year-olds admitted having to use them, compared to one in eight people aged over 55.”
And I can bet you when those 55+ year olds were 18 to 24, they sure as heck knew their maths (as they call it), probably two thirds of them...if not more.
Funny, something changed for people younger than 55 years. They didn’t need to learn arithmetic anymore, so the schools were MORE THAN HAPPY to do their part and our last two generations show the results.
Of course some of us aren’t so STUPID as to entrust the public (and, in many cases, private) schools to teach our kids - so we make them learn the right way, but we are STILL a minority, even here at Free Republic.
Anyway, we all know your rationalizations, so don’t bother trying to defend your choices (i.e., my school is different, it is run by good people).
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My kids were not permitted to use calculators until 7th grade when they were well into algebra and they needed it for the time saver that it was.
But by then, they KNEW all their multiplication and addition facts and knew how to use them to also subtract and divide.
My criteria for them being allowed to use calculators was that they had to demonstrate to my satisfaction, that they knew their math facts and could use the, all in their heads.