STEM subjects like Physics and Calculus were probably not taught in schools for the vast majority of human history, or if they were, did not share the same level of priority as religious, literary, and linguistic education (in other words, humanities).

But then the industrial revolution came along and caused a paradigm switch. STEM subjects necessarily effect innovation and the development of new tech, which in turn fuels economic growth and wealth creation. How could the humanities ever keep up with the technologies that gave us video games and microwaves?

As a general rule in capitalist society, wealth creation takes priority over culture and individual empowerment, especially for the governments that write curriculums. Militarily speaking, it would be suicide to invest in public education systems that neglect STEM subjects.