> I see no problem with the examples being boring.

I'm in agreement with this point; the examples are boring, but that's not really relevant. After all, we're mostly talking about Maths ITT, not history or social sciences.

1. Some foundational study is needed before you get to the really interesting problems at a higher grade/level/school/university.

2. Who cares if they are boring? A spectacular facility to learn Maths which is demonstrated by high marks indicates better abstract reasoning skills, making it easier for specific trades to decide who is more suitable.

3. How will the kids know whether they like Maths or not if they skip trig in high school?

(Sidenote: Am I the only one who finds trig easy and everything else in Maths hard?)