The thing is, without learning basic math and physics in school, most people would probably be flat earthers or some other type of degenerates.

Without knowing/understanding that it's possible to go the moon, or understanding why rubbing a stick against another stick makes fire, all the nonsense ideas that are the "easiest" to accept would prevail.

Let's say I tell you that 2+2=5. If you know that 1+1=2, you can reasonably deduct that what I'm saying is false. If you know or atleast have seen how to do calculations with gravity, you can reasonably understand that it's possible to figure out how to put a rocket in space. You probably won't be able to do it yourself, but you understand that it's possible.