[MikeHu]

When was the last time anyone solved a real life problem using quadratic equations? -- or algebra for that matter?

Yet there are a lot of daily skills people don't have which are not taught. I'd rather see them educated about all those practical things -- instead of things 95% will not use.

The one thing I think everyone needs to be able to do is file an income tax return -- and in it, one has to learn all the skills required in daily living -- reading, writing, arithmetic.

There's no rule that says academic can't be useful.

[Richard Kimball]

I've made this statement many times, but the building trades guy at my college told me he uses it frequently to calculate needed raw materials for construction. Then I realized I teach some variances to my fire cadets to figure out friction loss in hose lines, flow from smooth bore nozzles, calculate flow through multiple hose lines and master streams, etc.

However, no one (except my Dad) ever taught me how to balance a check book, figure out a tax rate, keep a set of books for a business, etc. I think education in the US is becoming more and more polarized. In many of the private schools, where proper behavior is required, students are getting excellent educations. In many public schools, it;s primarily a minimum security prison or babysitting and tranquilizing service.