2026-07-072026-07-07http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/74388This essay, originally published in the Sept 1990 Notices of the AMS, discusses problems of our mathematical education system that often stem from widespread misconceptions by well-meaning people of the process of learning mathematics. The essay also discusses ideas for fixing some of the problems. Most of what I wrote in 1990 remains equally applicable today.History and Overview97D20text