Why do we have to learn this?

All math matters, but statistics should be a top priority

Every few weeks, a kid at work complains about their schoolwork, saying, “Why do I have to learn this? I’m never going to use this in the real world.” More often than not, they’re talking about math—Why bother when they’ll always have access to a calculator, never need to graph a function, and won’t be solving derivatives in their future job?

It’s true that most of the math we learn in school rarely shows up in "real life" after formal education ends. I’m always surprised by how many smart, well educated, and high functioning adults can’t do long division or add fractions anymore. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t learn it.

No matter how much I try to explain the value of math education to the kids I work with—how it teaches logical thinking, sharpens attention to detail, enhances understanding of quantities, and builds the ability to recognize patterns—they remain unconvinced. I even argue that life is more enjoyable when you're informed and knowledgeable, and that learning math is part of that, but they still aren't sold. Kids, with their underdeveloped frontal lobes and concrete, black-and-white thinking, want to feel that what they’re learning has immediate, obvious value.

In some ways, though, they aren’t wrong. We really should be teaching kids content that applies directly to their future lives, and there’s plenty of math that fits that description but is missing from the core curriculum. Take statistics, for example. Most high school math sequences include algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus, while statistics is often relegated to an elective—if it’s offered at all. This is a serious oversight.

Statistics is essential for math literacy. It teaches us how to measure and conceptualize change, understand progress, and—most importantly in today’s polarized and sensationalized media landscape—how to critically evaluate information. It helps us distinguish fact from fiction and resist propaganda. Statistics creates a more thoughtful and informed citizenry.

So, while I’ll continue to defend math education and encourage kids to learn stuff they’ll never use after high school, I’ll also keep advocating for statistics—and all it’s real world applications—to be a core part of the curriculum.

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J.C. is the most talented member of *NSYNC!