<p>Agree with Cobrat that teaching calculus before college is not considered accelerated in the rest of the world. In the British system, students are introduced to simple derivatives towards (what in the US would be considered) the end of 9th grade.</p>
<p>It’s not the case that the rest of the world is focused only on math. They are focused on everything. We are just too far behind in math.</p>
<p>Math doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people, but in the rest of the world, parents and teachers don’t let the kids put up with resistance. Here in the US parents and teachers are too afraid to lose the approval of their kids, so they don’t say no to them. Much easier to buy them another computer game, hire them tutors, or let them do loads of extra-curriculars, than sit down with them for half an hour and learn some math.</p>