Although your point is well made, I still disagree Brett. Will equivalency help this child or any, once they have left school? I have been in the work force for 30 years and have never been asked to work out any problem (maths or otherwise), in a prescribed way. So why do it at school?

I realise you are a maths geek (I mean that in the nicest possible way), but the vast majority of people are not, and never will be. Most kids hate maths, and to have a correct answer marked wrong on the basis of how you get there is only going to make them hate it even more.