This is not a (political) troll. Due to recent test results in LA & other places, people are starting to ask the question "why teach algebra?" I've

as usual, the pundits miss the point. the real evil is not algebra; it is *reading*, and that's what should be slated for immediate removal from the school curriculum. this may seem extreme, but consider the potential market for optical character recognition devices equipped with voice output, as well as the need for periodic software and hardware upgrades. written books are out; audio books are in. why do students need to learn to read? they can get all the infotainment, er, news, they need from tv anyway. between audio books and OCR devices for use on old written media, reading is essentially unnecessary. oh, sure perhaps reading should be taught to a select group of elite schoolchildren who receive a thorough classical education, but that's only for the privileged elite. for the masses, why don't we dumb down everything to the barest minimum? education is out; edu-tainment is in! with tongue firmly in cheek, mike