The valdictorian of my high school class of 1972, went on to get a business degree in college in three years. Came back to our small town work as a bookkeeper until he recently retired.
He would be the first to tell you that on his job he never used the algebra, geometry, chemistry, and biology he excelled at in high school.
The point is to teach you how to think, and develop a good BS Meter.
There is a difference between education and job training.
Sounds like your example got a good education but ultimately all he really wanted was job training. He got that and was happy.
I would say he probably uses those high schools subjects every day, just doesn’t know it. They’re inadvertently disguised as something else.
“Came back to our small town work as a bookkeeper until he recently retired.
He would be the first to tell you that on his job he never used the algebra, geometry, chemistry, and biology he excelled at in high school.”
What is your point?
In four years in HS only one used his sciences and became a doctor( class of 73). I’m still friends with him but he never sends me scrips for painkillers and cool designer drugs:>)
I'll bet he did over his lifetime, just not in his specific choice of work. The things is, we may never use many of the things we learned in school, but the point of an education wasn't to remember everything you learned, it was to build a foundation of knowledge for you to continue to build on.
How many people today are scammed into believing things that are untrue simply because they don't have the educational foundation to question dubious things? Carbon dioxide is bad, mmkay? No. Carbon dioxide is life. Carbon is life. There is male, there is female, and there are abnormalities of both, but they're still base male or female. Child molesters in church or the Boy Scouts are bad, but groomers in schools are good. It's all in how the foundation is laid.
“He would be the first to tell you that on his job he never used the algebra, geometry, chemistry, and biology he excelled at in high school.”
Had he not taken those subjects in high school it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to choose to become a doctor, engineer, pharmacist, chemist, mathematician, scientists, or any other career in the STEM fields later in life. Do you want to narrow your career choices at age 14?
We used Algebra and Calculus in the Business school of the colleges I attended, especially in Accounting and Finance.
He would be the first to tell you that on his job he never used the algebra, geometry, chemistry, and biology he excelled at in high school.
I used just basic math as a Sr Financial Analyst of 30 some years. Never used calculus, Algebra, Chemistry, Biology.
Percent changes, division, add, subtract. Used formula’s in Excel, Pivot tables, etc.
Teach the basics in math for 4 years or until the student gets it. If students are going to be engineer, chemist, etc, let them take those Advanced Math and other subjects but not mandatory for every student who can’t even learn how to divide.
Teach how to make change without calculator or cash resister. Teach budgeting money. Teach rate of investment for savings, teach interest rates you will pay buying a home or a car, etc.