Our technology and our society evolved so much in the last 50 years, yet the whole education system it's so impervious to change and innovation. I agree with you that getting to the right answer should be the priority but also harnessing the kid's potential in full should be important. Each kid has different gifts, we can't impose one study method and the same topics to all of them

I think you might be overdramatizing it, and even perhaps attacking a straw man! There's definitely a lot of problems with education, but the thing you describe here I think isn't one of them. The reason there's emphasis in the process is because educators want the students to understand deep maths, not just memorize the correct answers. If faced with a never-before-seen problem, they want the students to know how to apply the process to reach a solution, instead of being stamped because they've never encountered the problem before. Abstract thinking is that leads to new discoveries. We don't want to beat our calculators. We can't. What we want is to invent new maths and solve deep problems. I'd rather live in the US and be 30th in the world in math, than live in China and be 1st.

Like I said, I agree there's a ton of issues with scientific literacy etc., all around the world, but somehow I feel your post misses the real issues. Soon the cashier won't even have to process tangible money, so you won't have to be able to count them. But you'll have to be able to know how to secure your credit card against a hacker, and that will require some abstract quantitative thinking.

Who needs math anyways?, let's just make the machines do the countin' while we do the collectin'

This is exactly the same in our country. Students can't even do the basics in math. Our president can't even count, and he never went to school but he condemns homeschooling and there is a big fight going on about it now between homeschooling parents and the department of education.  You should watch this and see what we have to put up with.  It is hilarious and so disturbing and sad all at the same time.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oO83b6wbKU4

I must say I never got math and I do believe it was mostly because how it  was taught to me. I remember having frequent collisions with the teacher just because I had gotten the right answer through a different method. Now what sense does that make?

awesome

let's talk about it, I think we can reason maths into a better understanding of our own selves

I'm just trying my hand with bullshit :D not sure if it will fly tho :D yeah having no real exemplar people that give their solid principles to the future generations is a surefire way to have people scrambled like eggs, brains that can't function properly and excel, looking for words, *umming* every three seconds they try to convey meaning by make a sentence.

so of course with our unfocused mindsets and our not real strive for excellence guidance, no wonder we've been watching videos go viral of how dumb americans are, how drunken russians are and not to mention how very hacky they get after a round of vodka probably.. the third world magically got very poor (nothing to do with exploitation of natural resources and a near millennia of colonisation and wars) charity and government projects work out flawlessly and are the most efficient way to fix roads ... and let's not forget build big shit piles of concrete :) for everyone and also net everyone in their box :) 

I got a bit carried away but I thought we were talking about maths :D 

I will answer the question logically, she needs to buy enough stickers, if it's 6 per bag, she better have more than 6 friends, or she can give however many she wants to each person, so that not are left, but of course this problem is so gaping with misinformation it's ridiculous.... 

* how many stickers are there per bag?
* how many people are there?
* how much stickers per each person?

yeah logic problems were a favorite resting and relaxation after doing maths for me, it was so easy :) but there was also tick-tack-toe expanded, chess, sudoku puzzles, games that were actually conducive to learning and development, in fact that's how I learned English, Diablo 2 and Starcraft :D overcoming adversity and having a story for the way there :) when Warcraft 3 was out I was already fluent in english :D 

so for maths, doing general maths is important, calculate change, calculate price, calculate costs, calculate spending, calculate time spent on problems, you can do brain games, I think [Dr. Kawashima](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryuta_Kawashima) was the person to start the trend, any logical or abstract thought is good for maths, but so is solid understanding of it's principles :) not many people are aiming to be [academicians](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academician) tho, wow I've learned a new word :) 

#### did you get the subtle joke? not so subtle? 
#conscious-learning 

I tried to understand common core math a couple of times.  It seems pretty useless to me.  I'm pretty dang good at 'everyday' math.  You know, addition, subtraction, multiplying, dividing, fractions and percentages, but that common core stuff just confuses me.

I am really bad at Maths, I failed my school exam :(

I don't know, when I was in school math was called an 'exact science' -  so maybe the kid can get some credit for applying the correct process, but he still fails.  If the right answer is x=3, it's simply not good enough to say x is somewhere between 2 and 5!

I was so furious when I found this in my child's school!
Such Garbage!!!

This is right on!!  I believe you and I have the same values my friend.
Truth warriors need to rise!!

2+2=5

Ignorance is Strength. War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery.

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More dumbing down of our society........... it starts with the kids.  Control is the game as a free thinking intelligent populace is not controllable.

We deal with "common core" math on occasion helping  grandchildren with homework.  Oh, my gosh. another insane experience.   I have long worked in the decorating business and relied on  math being an absolute science.  And, believe me,  when windows are measured to a certain number and draperies are made to order, the measurement must be "absolute" or, when they don't fit exactly,  a redo will be in order.  Just plain ole common sense!

Just dumbing them down....cant have the plebs getting to smart now