Posted on 12/18/2005 11:51:04 AM PST by SJackson
I see that there's a move afoot to increase the math and science requirements in our public high schools because jobs today are more high-tech and require more of those skills.
So everyone's jumping through hoops, concerned that developing countries are eating our lunch on science and math and saying it's time our kids start cracking the whip. Businesses want high school grads with those skills, and business in Wisconsin usually gets what it wants. So legislators are introducing bills that would require kids to take three years of both science and math courses in order to graduate from high school. The current requirement is two years of each.
That's all fine and dandy and, obviously, as our major industries farm out what's left of our blue-collar jobs to cheap labor abroad, there's a need for U.S. high-schoolers to be able to deal with this new computerized and technical world out there. I sometimes think I could've used that extra year of math and science just to deal with the remote control on my television.
But let me add a word of caution here.
Preparing our high school students for the rough and tumble of the job market is a noble cause, but I hope it isn't being done at the expense of making sure our graduates are prepared to do their duty as U.S. citizens, too.
It's so important that young people understand the importance of citizenship in a democracy, the need to be politically literate and involved.
High school graduates need to understand the history and workings of American government and why they need to participate in a healthy debate of ideas and beliefs if that form of government is to survive.
All too many young people don't know who their representatives are or how they got to be where they are and, frankly, couldn't care less to know.
High school students need to experience citizenship through activities in school. They need to be given opportunities to experience governance, debate and the importance of moral and social behavior and be able to understand how they all can play out in their adult lives.
If we continue to graduate young people who don't care about being citizens, who are turned off at the very thought of politics and government, then it won't do us much good to have them know everything there is to know about math and science.
They won't have a country in which to practice their technological skills.
Not everyone has same interests and abilities. Both of my children are indifferent to social studies, even though they got a big dose with mother's milk.
Hmmm
I would skip on #6 and #7.
Send the kids home and let 'em play.
But I like the first 5 a lot.
Since high schools are not currently teaching either of these, what's the complaint?
Off-topic, I realize, but the whole math & science bit is way overblown. Businesses do NOT want people competent in these areas, or I'd have been able to get a decent job sooner than two years after graduating college.
"Do you know how fast you could get a degree in college if you weren't forced to take all that liberal arts/social sciences crap and could actually focus on your major? It must knock off at least a year..."
The problem is that its a racket funded by the govt. - if you recieve federal funds you have to have approval of the accrediting org. - the accreding org forces all these BS classes on students. The liberal arts stuff was important at one time when access to the information was limited but today we dont need these classes - if you want to learn about black studies or homosexuals in history you can do a google search. It past time that we students be required to have 60+ units in their major (not 30 as most schools require) and get rid of the liberal indoctrination crap.
People who do well in math and science tend to also do well on the other subjects. They are not mutually exclusive.
Yes, kids also need to learn civics and English comprehension and composition and many other things besides the hard sciences. Problem is, it seems like far too many kids come out of school with little foundation in any of these subjects. But math and science skills are probably at the bottom of the barrel. BTW, to excel in any of those other subjects pretty much demands a strong foundation in English comprehension, at the least, since one is generally required to read and understand complicated texts, and to solve problems that are expressed in English.
When you look at the figures for the literacy levels of students leaving high school, and considering the relatively low expectations of the testing done, it is truly depressing.
Thank God I don't have to go to your school. I would most certainly fail...LOL.
Tempe Prep is a world class school. Any graduate can expect to write their own ticket. The math and science give them the skills to earn the good life. The arts are the good life.
Here's a great Science-History URL for you .
Merry Christmas !!
http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/051219_mammoth_dna.html
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.