Less is More

It seems that over the past 10 or 15 years more and more requirements have been added to graduation. Certainly the world has grown far more complex, but does that mean that the required credits for high school graduation must follow suit? More and more, students are being pushed towards a college bound education, whether they want it, are capable or it, are qualified for it, or not.

Yes, we need more students going to college, and majoring in science and engineering if our country wants to maintain its technological edge. However, not all kids are capable of obtaining a college degree, either because of genetics, motivation, or finances. Forcing more credits for a high school diploma will not alter a child’s genetic structure, their motivation, and certainly not provide him or her with the necessary tuition.

We are always going to need: dishwashers, auto mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, waitresses, cashiers, etc. These are all careers that require trade school at most. Does taking four years of high school science really make someone a better auto mechanic? Doubtful. But a well rounded education, including the core subjects and electives will certainly make him or her a better human being.

An example of letting the old go for new is: replace handwriting (cursive) with keyboarding skills. Certainly it is difficult to argue that in the 21st century, keyboarding is a vital skill to learn. Most jobs, including auto mechanic and serving necessitate the usage of computers, and the ability to type certainly makes that part of the job more efficient. I would argue that the ability to write in cursive is virtually useless in the computer age that we now live in. Therefore, we should reexamine the need to teach cursive in schools in lieu of teaching keyboarding in the elementary grades.

So too, other courses or requirements should be reevaluated for their usefulness in the 21st century. To maintain a balanced education, for every thing that is added, something should be taken away.