Fixing High School
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It seems that certain state governments are aiming at making the last half of senior year of high school more productive. I am not so far removed from this stage of my life, so I can see both positives and negatives.
Obviously, the last year of high school is an easy ride for students that have taken care of their graduation requirements, and they wind up ending the year in a haze of parties and official school ceremonies. My time could certainly have been put to better use than sitting in useless electives that I knew I didn't really need. At the same time, it was nice to be able to relax in fun classes which I chose, which I was sitting in because I truly wanted to, not because the state mandated me to. It was nice to be able to finally enjoy my last half-year at high school without having to worry about credits and requirements, to just be able to let myself be without any pressure or stress. It was a reward for actually working for 3.5 years.
At the same time, there are students who don't want to be rewarded, they want to be out. There are people who really don't want to be there anymore, people who want to it to be over and done with. I don't see what good it would do to keep them there if all of their graduation requirements are fulfilled. I wanted to be there to see my friends and keep my social life, but if all of my friends got out, I would be rather compelled to do the same. The argument will be made that we have to keep kids off the street, which I think is the most valid point that can be made to contradict this idea, although I don't think you're going to be going around raising all that much hell if you're the kind of student who finishes school a half-year early. Then again, all high school people can manage to get themselves in trouble.
The proposals to institute college level courses for the final year are intriguing, but I think they should be kept strictly optional. If I can't be legally mandated to go to college after I graduate high school, there is no reason for me to be mandated to take college courses while I am still in high school. It just doesn't make any sense.
It seems that certain state governments are aiming at making the last half of senior year of high school more productive. I am not so far removed from this stage of my life, so I can see both positives and negatives.
Obviously, the last year of high school is an easy ride for students that have taken care of their graduation requirements, and they wind up ending the year in a haze of parties and official school ceremonies. My time could certainly have been put to better use than sitting in useless electives that I knew I didn't really need. At the same time, it was nice to be able to relax in fun classes which I chose, which I was sitting in because I truly wanted to, not because the state mandated me to. It was nice to be able to finally enjoy my last half-year at high school without having to worry about credits and requirements, to just be able to let myself be without any pressure or stress. It was a reward for actually working for 3.5 years.
At the same time, there are students who don't want to be rewarded, they want to be out. There are people who really don't want to be there anymore, people who want to it to be over and done with. I don't see what good it would do to keep them there if all of their graduation requirements are fulfilled. I wanted to be there to see my friends and keep my social life, but if all of my friends got out, I would be rather compelled to do the same. The argument will be made that we have to keep kids off the street, which I think is the most valid point that can be made to contradict this idea, although I don't think you're going to be going around raising all that much hell if you're the kind of student who finishes school a half-year early. Then again, all high school people can manage to get themselves in trouble.
The proposals to institute college level courses for the final year are intriguing, but I think they should be kept strictly optional. If I can't be legally mandated to go to college after I graduate high school, there is no reason for me to be mandated to take college courses while I am still in high school. It just doesn't make any sense.
