[RAdrien]

I agree. Academic math is taught as a set of rote rules or steps. The focus is not on intuitive understanding. I was taught the usual method of long division and carrying all by rote. Only later on in my academic life did I work out on my own why it works as it does.

[lupire]

This hasn't been true in most of the USA for decades.

A common failure more is for students to forget something and then claim they were never taught it. Arguably the should have been taught it more thoroughly.

[esseph]

This is still the way my kids in middle and high school are taught today.

[milesrout]

Long division is taught to 8 year olds. That is not "academic maths" it is primary school arithmetic.

When I was taught long division I was told how it worked, although it is fairly obvious if you think about it for a few seconds anyway.