Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
I completely disagree. If an abacus is more efficient than a calculator in the hands of someone who knows how to use it, how is that inefficient?
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It takes a ridiculous amount of time to become efficient with an abacus! It might as well be a qualification!
I had to learn to use it in primary school in Algeria, but if I had to choose between a Calculator and an Abacus, it'd have to be the Calculator! The only thing the Abacus did for me was improve my mental arithmetic. By the time I moved to England, my mental arithmetic was the only advantage I had! So, I agree with "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", when it comes to education, because it's terrible seeing little kids using a calculator and not having a clue how to use their brain, but otherwise, at the office, the system is pretty broke if you have to look for an expert abacus user. (Though to be honest, Excel is the new tool)