Should computer programming take priority over math in the high school curriculum?

If we take a look at the world as we know it today, we can easily spot that technology has taken over our lives. It is so deeply intertwined with everything we do that it would be difficult and challenging to give up using it at all.

This, along with the popularity of some of the richest people on the planet, has created a collective wish: to try to be like them or even better. More and more children want to be computer scientists, to invent the next Facebook or Microsoft. And a legit question has appeared.

Should computer programming take priority over the math in the high school curriculum? If students want to learn more about computer science, should we make it a priority over other subjects? Should the high school math curriculum be changed? Let’s find out the answer to these questions.

Should computer science be made a priority over math?

The direct and clear answer to this question is no. Even though many students in high school would love to learn more about computer science, coding, and programming, this does not mean that it should be a priority over math.

Math anxiety is a real thing that is more and more present in our schools. And both students and their parents are trying to find solutions to cope with it easily. In this case, learning computer science might seem more attractive. It seems that it can help you build a nice future career, especially as there are a lot of resources you can access. But these subjects complement each other nicely.

Concepts you study in math will be useful in computer science too. Learning computer science without math will make it more difficult to evolve and build a solid knowledge base. Many high school math questions shed more light on some challenging computer science concepts, such as algorithms. No matter if you do online high school math, or you go to classes, what you learn during these hours will be of tremendous help.

However, learning computer science is just as important as learning mathematics. Let’s see why.

Having an Advantage

Considering the fact that technology is so deeply intertwined with our lifestyles, knowing how to use it is always a plus. But anyone knows how to use a smartphone or smartwatch as they are user-friendly. But what happens if you want to go beyond the traditional user interface? What happens if a nice idea strikes you, and you want to try it and see how it works?

Well, for this you need computer science knowledge. Which can be developed and improved during high school, with an equal emphasis on math too. Having at least the basic knowledge to get started in computer science or build your custom app can prove to be an advantage.

Computer Science Can Be Used to Teach Math

The best math apps for high school have a few modules that help you practice the easiest and most difficult math concepts equally. But sometimes, learning math can feel like a burden. As mentioned above, math anxiety is something common, and it can be triggered by a lot of factors. But what is important is that math just builds upon the previous year.

So, if you haven’t understood the math concepts taught earlier, it would be difficult to advance. Well, this is the case for many students. And computer science can be used to teach math. High school students are more attracted by new technologies, platforms, and apps to use and discover. And because computer science relies on math concepts, it can be used to teach math to students too.

Like this, students can understand the connection of math with real life too. A lot of them think that what they learn during math classes will not be useful later in life. Some even ask themselves how integrals, derivatives, or matrices help them. But if you understand that all these complex concepts are present in computer science in one way or another, learning them might be easier.

Final Words

Many students and people fail to understand that math is present in our everyday life. And as computer science is a much more appealing subject, many think about it taking priority over the math in the high school curriculum. Even though this might sound nice, these two subjects complement each other, and they should be given equal priority.

Kathy Mercado

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