The thing is that by no means all the absent functions are removed from Photoshop Elements (hereinafter, 'PSE') in full, many of them are just hidden from the user. Here 'Elements+' will be of service to you. As you advance, though, you may miss one or another undocumented function. The 'surface' Photoshop Elements functions are quite sufficient for a beginner.
Some functions have been removed, while the others just stay hidden. As you, probably, know, Adobe Photoshop Elements has not inherited all of the essential features of the full Photoshop.