It is widely agreed upon that mathematical skills and knowledge are crucial for future scientists, computer programmers, and engineers, but for the rest of us, it is unclear what level of mastery is needed in this field. In recent years, the necessity of education in mathematics has been brought into question by those in the education field, social scientists, and even politicians. However, some teachers feel that mathematical skills will be an integral part of America's future success. It is believed by many that competence in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – will keep the United States economically competitive in the ever-developing and accelerating world economy. Some educators believe that if students do not take algebra classes by ninth grade, they will fall behind and not have the requisite skills and knowledge for higher education and a number of trades. Researchers, on the other hand, see a corporate agenda for forcing students to take algebra, and as many of these students are not ready for it and inevitably fail the course, the result could be higher dropout rates. So, the question remains: is algebra really that important?

First, it is important to define what algebra is and why it is so difficult for many students. To answer this question, the root of the problem must be identified, which is the difficulty young people find in learning math in general. Arithmetic, the most basic branch of mathematics, is challenging to many but most people are able to grasp the major tenets, thanks to the fact that numbers occur naturally around us in our everyday lives. Numbers are abstract, but are tied to concrete things that surround us, from taking measurements in a clothes department to weighing fresh produce at the supermarket. Past research relating to the teaching and learning of algebra was mostly concentrated on the issues of secondary school students, but these problems can be traced back to a lack of algebraic reasoning in early childhood years. Errors in school-level algebra stem from a fundamental difference in the approach to algebraic and arithmetic problem solving, as a student who has learned to solve a problem through arithmetic will need to adopt a whole new way of thinking.

In-depth research related to this issue was conducted with a group of 120 high school students in Sri Lanka, coming from three different schools in urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. A pre-screened algebra test with 30 questions was given to all students, and a random sample of 32 students was selected for interviewing following the test. The interview transcripts and the students' written assessments were analysed, and a number of recurring errors were prevalent. Most errors occurred during the processing stage (57.8%), followed by comprehension error (21.9%), encoding error (15.6%), and verification error (4.7%), with these figures revealing that the majority of errors occurred during processing and comprehension. This research showed that symbolic interpretation is difficult for many students.

Both arithmetic and algebra have their own set of practical applications in life. Arithmetic is more useful in everyday activities that involve whole numbers, fractions, and percentages, such as calculating monthly budgets and taking measurements. It is indeed possible to succeed in adulthood without the use of algebra, and adults may have never learned about its practical applications. Algebra’s value may not be as readily apparent as arithmetic's, but without it, access to a number of professions or university courses is impossible. Algebra may seem abstract, but that is part of why it is so useful in a number of situations and settings. It can be argued that due to its abstract nature, it should be taught from an early age, much as language already is, which is also an abstract concept.

The emphasis placed on algebra in school curricula varies significantly from country to country, as was highlighted by PISA, an international comparative study that looked into various profiles of mathematical education around the world. A consistent result of these studies was that Nordic and English-speaking countries place far less importance on the application of algebraic problem-solving than East Asian and East European countries. This was due to the fact that real-world mathematics, namely arithmetic, was the main focus of school mathematics in the former countries, and there has been a shift away from the more formal aspects of mathematics, such as algebra. There also seem to be some problems with the organisation of the curricula, as students in Norway take algebra classes late in their schooling career, with teachers stressing that the abstract nature of algebra makes it difficult to teach, and therefore, difficult for students to learn. Not only is algebra difficult to teach, it is also difficult for many teachers to understand themselves, so school boards in the Nordic and English-speaking countries do not stress training their student teachers in this. For this reason, if teachers feel that they are not competent in algebra, it makes sense that they do not make a point of teaching it, or at least put off including it in their syllabi for as long as possible.

Given the vast number of difficulties experienced by both teachers and students when it comes to algebra, a central question in determining the importance of algebra is how to find a balance between what students need in their everyday lives and their requirements for this knowledge in pursuing higher education and careers later in life. Another equally important question is how arithmetic and algebra can be effectively implemented in the classroom. These questions are not easily answered, but are incredibly important and deserve more attention from both educators and researchers.