Your average worker only needs to know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Maybe a tiny bit of algebra.
Every person in the world would benefit from studying algebra to at least the college level, if only because that's where you move on from "remember these formulas", which is useful in passing a class, to "understand these concepts", which is useful in day-to-day life; there's a LOT of benefit to understanding that algebraic relationships can be applied to a wide variety of real-world concepts. Similarly, every person would benefit from a (DECENT) introductory trigonometry class; specifically, one that focused on conceptual uses rather then "OK guys, just memorize SOHCAHTOA for the test, yeah?", because being able to understand spatial relations is damned useful.
At the same time, I'd also strongly want people to have to take (again, decent) statistics classes, classes on taxes, all the stuff we used to call "home ec" (like cooking, housekeeping, laundry, etc), basic logic classes, and a number of other things that I'm sure many would call useless fluff classes (at least until they get out into the real world and suffer for the not knowing).
True, classes on logic, statistics, and "fluff classes" as you put it would be useful and helpful. But ultimately I think they could still be managed to be put into a more condensed curriculum. Certainly not something that needs to be delayed until post-secondary.
Every person in the world would benefit from studying algebra to at least the college level, if only because that's where you move on from "remember these formulas", which is useful in passing a class, to "understand these concepts", which is useful in day-to-day life; there's a LOT of benefit to understanding that algebraic relationships can be applied to a wide variety of real-world concepts. Similarly, every person would benefit from a (DECENT) introductory trigonometry class; specifically, one that focused on conceptual uses rather then "OK guys, just memorize SOHCAHTOA for the test, yeah?", because being able to understand spatial relations is damned useful.
At the same time, I'd also strongly want people to have to take (again, decent) statistics classes, classes on taxes, all the stuff we used to call "home ec" (like cooking, housekeeping, laundry, etc), basic logic classes, and a number of other things that I'm sure many would call useless fluff classes (at least until they get out into the real world and suffer for the not knowing).
True, classes on logic, statistics, and "fluff classes" as you put it would be useful and helpful. But ultimately I think they could still be managed to be put into a more condensed curriculum. Certainly not something that needs to be delayed until post-secondary.