The World Has Changed, but School Hasn’t?

According to Sebastian Law, Class of 2024 on “Why Schools Need to Change the Current Curriculum to be More Hand On” the school system has been the same for almost 200 years. Since then, we’ve always needed reading, writing, math, science, history, and a foreign language. Historically, these have been used to graduate and prepare people for the workforce.

While all of this can be meaningful- today this can be problematic. Today’s work force has specific areas to meet the work criteria, and most of what we learn in high school is meaningless towards these jobs. According to Yahoo News, only 62% can graduate college after a complete six 6 years of enrollment after high school. There is a certain level you do need to be at for these “basic” skills, but when colleges say jobs require bachelor’s yet most high-end jobs don’t, something needs change.

A student’s view on how school can be

When it comes to opinions around the current high school system, Lakes High School junior, M.B, stated, “I think it works with the system we have, but it doesn’t show how smart a student really is.”

This mainly refers to the grading system, which does need a change. Being strong on one subject compared to another is not a sign of being less intelligent, but more of a lack of interest. This can be applied to classes you might not need for a job.

M.B also stated, “Why would you want me to work at home when you don’t work at home?”

These two quotes can encapsulate how the student body may feel about school and provide personal experiences on how these schools are redundant. M.B. went on to share about was how school should relate to a job and how you put in your best effort in the actual work environment as you do in school to return home and relax.

A teacher’s view on how school can be

As Business and Marketing teacher Andrew Hunter said, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”

From a teacher’s point of view, the school system is meant to be a reward system. School was based off a system where you learn to own.

Hunter stated, “Grades are a paycheck”.

This can be applied outside of school as well, such as parents, colleges, and certain jobs looking at your grades. Grades also affect sports, because a student needs to maintain good grades to remain on a team. “Education is a fluid thing, it’s always changing,” said Hunter.

Even with the school system being around for over 150 years it has changed in ways such as being more accepting towards students, student voices are more heard, and flexible scheduling.

The change we need

With the thoughts on the school system, the best change would be to personalize classes. Students complain about taking classes they do not need and being graded for that. Teachers will argue that a grade is a grade and reflects how you are doing. However, it’s hard to work in a classroom that you dislike, do not need, or are not motivated to engage in.

Why would someone need history if their career goal is to own a restaurant? Why would someone need to take up to pre-calculus be a marine biologist? On top of that, this may stress out a student making these classes and fail in other classes, stated in Education Week. So, let us make schools more flexible, and more centered around the student’s goal rather than the basics classes most do not need.