I would not listen to the male-secretary's views on mathematics, if I were her.
Nevertheless, this does not surprise me at all. I completed two years at public school in Texas (in Houston area), and then the latter two years in California, and I testify that I lost an entire year of math. So I believe part of the problem is not an attitude against math, rather poor ethic of teachers in this state, and definitely at my school.
On the other hand, if Algebra is really that tough for her to fail 6 times, it is probably too late. I would also encourage her enroll in some homemaking class or a typing class, and if this is not disheartening to her, then my point stands true.
I was horrified to hear a student in the physics laboratory section for which I was serving as a TA complain, "This is so much math!" As it turned out, she was complaining about pure arithmetic. She was some engineering student!
no subject
Nevertheless, this does not surprise me at all. I completed two years at public school in Texas (in Houston area), and then the latter two years in California, and I testify that I lost an entire year of math. So I believe part of the problem is not an attitude against math, rather poor ethic of teachers in this state, and definitely at my school.
On the other hand, if Algebra is really that tough for her to fail 6 times, it is probably too late. I would also encourage her enroll in some homemaking class or a typing class, and if this is not disheartening to her, then my point stands true.
I was horrified to hear a student in the physics laboratory section for which I was serving as a TA complain, "This is so much math!" As it turned out, she was complaining about pure arithmetic. She was some engineering student!