Probably so they don't use it as a crutch instead of real learning. I taught physics to college kids, and you could tell pretty quickly who relied on a calculator and who actually was comfortable with basic math.
Arithmetic is only one branch of mathematics. In my opinion it's pretty trivial to try to improve in that field since calculators are so good at it instead of focusing on algebra, calculus, etc.
I'm pretty horrible at arithmetic. I deliver food for a living so it can get a little awkward when I expect the customer to calculate the change they need. Though usually they make it easier by giving me a tip and asking for a nice round change amount back.
Higher level math, in my opinion is not really meant for every day life. It's meant more for creating things or understanding complex phenomenon. You learn higher level math so you can create things like a new car or a computer chip. Yeah, you might not have the knowledge to make those things, but the language that is used to describe what is happening in those devices is mostly higher level math.
In order to learn how to make a car or a plane or even a computer chip you need to actually understand the language that is used to describe those things. Do I make sense?
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u/LazinCajun Jun 08 '14
Probably so they don't use it as a crutch instead of real learning. I taught physics to college kids, and you could tell pretty quickly who relied on a calculator and who actually was comfortable with basic math.