Memorization is necessary, though it is certainly overemphasized in certain academic contexts. For example, good math teachers know that memorizing multiplication tables and working to improve the speed of recall frees working memory to deal with higher level concepts. Of course it is also important that kids are simultaneously being taught what multiplication represents. I've seen teachers err on both sides of the memorization vs. exploration/conceptual development fence. - Wow, its rare to catch Vassar in an over-generalization!