Arithmetic is given a lot of importance early in a child's education in India.
Kids learn multiplication tables (upto 10 atleast) even before they start their first year of school (1st standard).
This is so prevalent that reciting multiplication tables (the higher, the smarter you are) in front of guests, when you are 4-6, is a very common thing across all Indian cultures.
Extra math classes, like "Vedic mathematics", which provide shortcuts to faster arithmetic, are a rage in urban India.
Sorry, but your examples do not truly reflect the situation out here. (I am not too sure how much time you have spent in India.)
My take on why an 'average' Indian kid is a little bit better than an 'average' American kid in math, is just because (s)he has done more of it and with a bit more rigor. Everyone needs to pass a mandatory math exam here (as part of what we call class Xth board exams), and only after doing that one gets a choice to pick a stream of subjects of his/her liking (that may or may not include math).
As everywhere, some kids do have trouble liking/understanding math, but they do not have much of an option initially and their parents also keep the ante up, on studies for this particular subject. (Of all the kids who are not able to clear the Xth board exams, the percentage flunking in math is the highest).
Another reason that helps getting this subject more priority, is that for most of the better paying professions, it is a must. (Sadly, majors in humanities mostly have more trouble getting in to top earning bracket).
A similar example is about learning the English language. Kids in India do it more than kids in China/Japan, and hence do it better on an 'average'.
I have spent all my life in Bangalore, India and I'm nearing 30.
The Indian culture gives a lot of importance to having good math skills. If your mom asks you to get something from the neighbouring shop, you better have your math right. Kids are always taught to count the change and demand the correct change after a transaction.
So, addition and subtraction have to have on the spot without the help of a electronic teller. Perhaps that can give an insight into why I insist that the Indian culture requires you to be sharp with your basic math.
I have alternate story about maximum "fails" in the board exams. A lot of students dread Hindi (an artificially imposed third language in South India) and to a lesser extent English.
Yeah, I agree with your premise that good secondary math skills are a result of ultra-competitive nature of college admissions and job market. But, it still doesn't take away the fact that a student with average overall score in India will be better off than an average student in US when it comes to "usable" mathematics.
Just because the state syllabus mandates study of Hindi as an essential requirement to pass high school, it does not make the language welcome in all parts of south India.
The urban south-Indians learn Hindi, when necessary, by osmosis and from media.
AFAIK, passing hindi (score > 35/100) is no longer a criterion for getting one's high school diploma. Thank $deity.
I have spent all my life in Bangalore, India and I'm nearing 30.
Thanks, this helps in putting your comments in context. My first reaction to your post was that it probably came from someone has not spent too much time here. My bad.
This is so prevalent that reciting multiplication tables (the higher, the smarter you are) in front of guests, when you are 4-6, is a very common thing across all Indian cultures.
Extra math classes, like "Vedic mathematics", which provide shortcuts to faster arithmetic, are a rage in urban India.