The American Education System Puts Too Much Emphasis on Mathematics

How much is enough? In order to establish that the American education system puts too much emphasis on mathematics, my opponent must first establish how much emphasis is desirable and then show that the American education system excessively exceeds the desirable amount of emphasis. I will argue that the American education system does not put too much emphasis on mathematics. International comparison The US fares poorly on international comparisons of mathematical literacy while remaining somewhat more competitive on comparisons of reading literacy. Notably, the US ranks 15th of 29 in reading (near average) while ranking 25th of 30 in mathematics (far below average) in a comparison of education amongst OECD nations. [1] This indicates that, judging by how much emphasis on mathematics other countries deem desirable, the American education system does not place too much emphasis on mathematics. Instead, it would seem that the American education system does not place enough. Why is mathematics education important? Why do other countries place so much emphasis on mathematics? Mathematics plays a central role in scientific research and technological innovation. To quote President Barak Obama on the importance of innovation, “I believe that in order to be globally competitive in the 21st century and to create an American economy that is built to last, we must create an environment where invention, innovation, and industry can flourish.” 2012 Presidential candidate Mitt Romney shares a similar opinion on this, saying “Innovation is the key to economic growth and job creation, and increasingly important to American competitiveness in the global economy.” [2] Skilled STEM workers (and as such a strong emphasis on mathematics education) are in high demand and are central to ensuring American competitiveness and economic success. [3] Judging by the importance of mathematics education and the poor ranking of American mathematics literacy, the American education system is far from placing too much emphasis on mathematics education. University preparation The US education system does not sufficiently prepare for basic mathematics courses at the university level and 30% of college students are required to take remedial classes in maths in order to correct this achievement gap. [4] With two thirds of high-school graduates pursuing higher-level education within a year of graduation, sufficiently preparing students for further education should be a goal of the education system, however it is not met. [5] Not enough emphasis is placed upon mathematics Mathematics education is important to maintaining American competitiveness and economic success. The American education system, however, prepares students significantly more poorly than the average amongst OECD nations and a significant proportion of students are unprepared for university level mathematics courses. The American education system places too little, not too much, emphasis on mathematics. [1] http://www.all4ed.org...[2] http://www.sciencedebate.org...[3] http://www.usnews.com...[4] http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu...[5] http://www.bls.gov...