To think the school system is ridiculous

Algebra is something you use weekly if not daily.

Competence in algebra is evidence of a certain ability to think.

Well even though people have pointed out that more careers use maths than you seem to think, young people don’t know what career they are going to end up doing so we teach a broad curriculum in school. I think if we asked all children to choose at 11 what subjects they’d like to study, for the career they’d like to do, it might not work out so well. When my son left primary school they all wrote down what they wanted to do when they grew up. Over half wanted to be footballers 🙄

You’re using some sort of device connected to the Internet to post on Mumsnet. Guess what the tech industry uses to make these things work?

Guess what just about every manufacturing process uses, every method of tracking (for example) the progress of a disease through the population uses, what methods of modelling to plan infrastructure and resources use…

You may have correctly guessed, Maths. And because we cannot tell what very young people might want to do with their lives, we teach it to everyone.

You're really showing your ignorance. Many careers will use algebra, maybe not every day but the ability to use it when required is essential in many careers.

What I would say is the education system needs to sort out those better suited to a trade sooner and set them up appropriately instead of wasting their time.

Algebra is the most fun part of maths.

This. Most people use algebra skills on a fairly regular basis and just don't realise. I really don't get the British obsession with playing down the importance of maths, it's like people are proud to have poor skills. Would those people brag about being unable to understand a simple passage of text or write a few sentences?

I read an interesting book on how to choose what is on the curriculum.

It divided it into ‘treasures’ and ‘treadmills’. Treasures are things that most agree that well educated people should know, things like Shakespeare, The Periodic Table, our solar system, some language etc.

Treadmills are things to develop your brain. This might include conjugating verbs, quadratic equations, poetic structures etc.

But it’s not an exact science. I rather like quadratic equations, so maybe they are a treasure to me, and treasures change over the years.

But, for those sceptical about what we learn, they should try and design a better curriculum. It’s actually pretty hard!

@Suflan , you are completely right. I never try to calculate if one item works out cheaper per gram or ml than another. I never work out any percentages. I never budget. I never plan or cost journeys or try to calculate how much wallpaper or paint I need. I never need to use a recipe for four that I need to make enough for 5 people. I never need to work out how many calories in a portion...

School was such a waste of time.

I’m in finance and I use algebra all the time, e.g. to calculate redemption amounts, debt yields etc.

Accountants do use algebra, including for calculating present value of future assets.

It’s used in medicine to calculate dosing. It’s used in all sorts of areas.

Schools could definitely teach some more practical skills because sadly some parents aren’t passing these on. That might be because the parents don’t have those skills.

Mathematics is very important. I was average at it at school and dropped it at A-Level but I use bits of what I learned every day at work. I lean on colleagues that are better at maths regularly.

Lots of kids like school. I did, but I certainly wasn’t advertising that fact at the time. I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Chefs/cooks/caterers
Bakers
decorators
plumbers
builders
mechanics
carpet fitters
double glazing salespeople
personal trainers
Bra fitters
dressmakers
pilots
astronauts
engineers
racing drivers
taxi drivers

all use maths all the time.

Even if they don’t do a career in maths and never ever used those complicated equations, personally I still think is an important brain exercise if nothing else, getting those neurons at work.

Merely befitting the originality of the post.

After all, no one has ever questioned whether all children should learn algebra before…

Well it's good you aren't anymore. Think if how many careers you've wasted

Algebra is probably more widely used these days than in the past.

anyone who programs a computer needs it - so that’s pretty much the whole IT industry.
engineers. Any scientist of any description.

it’s actually probably more used now than it was 50 years ago,

Many young people don't want to study it.

Many children dont want to go to school at all. Lots of them don't want to eat vegetables. Many young people dont see the point of speed limits and think they know better when they get behind the wheel. We make them do these things and follow rules because we know what's best. Just because people dont want to do something, or think it's pointless doesn't mean they are right. So yes, in many cases, their opinions are invalid.

Absolutely agree! And have done since I was in high school myself over 20 years ago.Alot of what high schools teach is incredibly outdated and unnecessary.
They should be focusing more on PSHE (specifically healthy relationships, red flags etc as Domestic abuse is rife) budgeting and general money management, careers advice and general life skills needed to run a home and live successfully.
Learning historic dates, algebra, Shakespeare and chemistry won't help most people in the real world.
My theory is they run out of necessary things to teach so start to drill into specifics too much.
They need to make it more 'key skills' based, teaching what many might use in careers not doing niche topics that most won't and if they do need them can learn at degree level.

I do agree that much of the curriculum is outdated and we need an overhaul.

But maths is an odd one to pick on. Actually one of the more useful subjects.

People are giving you a very hard time but a lot of people from the irish school system would say they struggled having to study Maths to Leaving Cert standard.

I think the UK system is better if you don’t love Maths because you can drop it after GCSE. I imagine lots of people commenting on this post will know people who only did maths to GCSE level and understand their choice.

I found it difficult having to study Maths at Leaving Cert level and did Pass Maths not Honours. I think it’s generally a positive thing that in Ireland you leave school with a broad education by studying 7 subjects at Leaving Cert. But personally I would have preferred to only do 3 subjects I really liked. It would have been easier for me to do well.

i feel they should be taught about finance and spending as well as cooking and sewing, Home type things that will be useful. Not bloody Pythagoras Theorem. I only know how to use it now as my DD is doing her GCSEs