Editorial: Not every student needs Algebra 2. UC should be flexible on math requirement
University of California faculty and administrators have been debating a change to required courses that sounds like a small issue, but that should have the academic sphere asking these questions about the goals of higher education: Should students be required to study just what they will need for the jobs they expect to have in the future or should they emerge as well-rounded graduates? And is rigor in school requirements more important than making courses relevant to young people?
At issue is whether high school students can apply to UC if they have taken a data science course in place of Algebra 2, the traditional third year of high school math that used to be required of all applicants. Algebra 2 is more abstract than data science, a form of applied mathematics that combines math, statistics and other tools to provide a wide range of useful information for many professional careers. That could include predicting side effects to medication, consumer buying trends or matching couples on dating apps.
Making the SAT optional hurt college admissions. Universities such as MIT, Brown and Dartmouth are returning to tests. That’s a good trend for students.
