[onewhippedpuppy]

You have to learn the basics before introducing calculators. After you can do it by hand, a calculator just increases the speed by which calculations can be done. Who would want to pay an engineer an hourly rate to do calculations by slide rule? That said, I worked construction for years before returning to school to get my aerospace engineering degree, and have noticed that my talent for doing math in my head has slipped.

One question, why so much blame on the teachers? Parents, if your children are slipping in school, you need to look in the mirror, because that's where the buck stops. If they're gifted, you need to nurture it. If they're slow, assist them. At the end of the day, it's your responsibility that your kids succeed.