More math will help students

Parents are upset about an ongoing discussion.

It is about education, but the subcategory is making some Floridian parents upset.

The Tallahassee Democrat reported colleges and universities in Florida have changed the math requirements for prospective students.

High school graduates now need four math credits.

While this is finally a step in the right direction, it is already presenting a problem.

From ninth to twelfth grade, students will have to take Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II plus Pre-Calculus in the final year of high school.

Unfortunately, students are already falling behind. Parents are concerned because some students may need remedial math courses in college.

In those cases, some students may have to take more than one course their freshman year of college in order to catch up to others.

Although some people feel like this is a problem, it is actually the beginning of something that will help students’ education.

On an international level, Americans are falling behind in math. USA Today reported in a study conducted by the American Institutes of Research in some major cities, some American students did not do as well as students in other countries.

The report said American fourth graders were behind in math skills compared to students in Japan, Singapore and some other nations.

Students in the Republic of Korea, The Netherlands and Hungary were ahead of Amercan eighth graders.

In a time where nations are connected closer than ever before, we need our students to be internationally competitive.

Changes in education will only ensure that students will fare better in the future.

Yes this may ruffle some feathers, and will be bit of a struggle for some, but in the end it should be about producing better students.

A’sia Horne-Smith for the editorial board.