Rebecca Ahdoot
Staff Writer
We’ve all dreaded the lessons that seem impossible; we’ve all asked ourselves, “When are we ever going to use this in our lives?” Those questions are usually directed towards our math and science classes. Recent studies have shown that academically, there has been a decrease in the math and science fields in the US. A study put out by the National Center for Education for Education compares 15 year old US students with students from other countries. The study found that kids in the US placed below average in math and science. Significantly low results in math placed US students in the bottom quarter of the countries that participated.
At Milken, three AP math classes are offered, including AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, and AP Statistics. There are approximately 80 students enrolled in math AP classes this academic year.
The science department offers four AP Sciences including AP Biology, AP Chemistry and two sects of AP Physics. This academic year, there is an increasing amount of 105 students enrolled in the AP sciences as a whole whereas there were only 87 students enrolled last year.
On an online poll, 61% of Milken students voted that they are academically better at English and liberal arts whereas only 39% of students voted for math and science.
There is no doubt that US Students have fallen in math and science through the years. But what is the cause?
“I think we should pay math and science teachers a lot more money. We pay everybody the same. We have areas of critical need, [and those are] math and science,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated.
At Milken, there are a variety of students with their own special talents, whether it be liberal arts, performing arts, creating scientific experiments, or solving long math equations.
Would you agree with Duncan that math and science are the main critical areas students should focus on or do you believe in everyone’s own special talents?
Tom Cooper • Feb 1, 2011 at 7:49 pm
I used to believe that it didn’t matter what someone majored in as long as they got their college degree. And that *used* to be true. But now the U.S. is no longer the “king of the mountain.” With globalization comes a type of economic equilibrium on a global level.
Since the cost of living in the U.S. is so high, on a global level, then we need to be educated in areas that will pay the best-on a global level. Science and technology are already beginning to dominate the market for better paying jobs.
So if you want a job that pays you enough to live well, not even rich, in the U.S., then you better be damn good at math and science.