Is Algebra Necessary? Article Review Example

Andrew Hacker proposes that high school students should not be required to take algebra class in order to graduate. He says that students in the US are generally bad at math, and it should not be a building block to higher education. He argues that some students are  disadvantaged due to the algebra requirement, stating that colleges are too strict on their higher mathematics because they wish to boost their ratings. He cites his own experience, as well as other educator’s experiences, as acknowledgment of what happens when students are forced to take algebra classes and end up with failing or nearly failing grades. He says that instead of forcing students to take these classes that they will eventually fail and possibly lead to dropping out of school completely, the students should be allowed to follow a path of their own choosing to foster their own creativity and learning.

I would have to disagree with Hacker’s argument, mostly because it comes across as allowing students to simply give up when something gets too difficult. Also, Hacker is essentially saying that just because a student might not ever use algebra again in their careers, even in some STEM careers, then students should not feel pressured to take the course and try to learn the material. There are many disciplines of learning that might not directly relate to our later careers, but the nature of learning difficult mathematics is to gain logical thinking skills and sharpening the mind in general. The same can be said for STEM students who do not enjoy writing, and they are required to continue their educations taking various research and writing courses. I think that it speaks to our capacity to learn and engage and prove that we can accomplish a difficult task. I do, however, agree with Hacker that statistics is an important course for high school students, because it is commonly encountered in college and workplaces. I think that a required statistics course in high school would be quite valuable.