I believe there is a value to rote learning especially in the earling years.

The Times tables shoulb be memorized, for example. I do not mean to devalue that type of learning- in fact in I think students should learn to spell correctly in grade school. Both types help prepare our brains. In higher education we need different strageties. And in some fields they need to think on ‘thier feet” so to speak but it is true other countries have surpassed us in Science and Math!