Choices. The trident of teenagers, the fiery crux they hold dearly to their hearts, providing for their security and independence. It enables teenagers to lift their heads in public, knowing that they are a product of their own power and no longer of their parents. The very ability to make choices is granted to students in secondary education, specifically when it comes to choosing classes, yet teenagers still feel limited in the type and number of classes they can take.
High school itself is a microcosm of an individual’s life, running parallel to the progression one makes in the real world. For example, as kids slowly age, they start to lose dependency on adults and their support. Consequently, they begin to shy away from constant nurturing from teachers and class sizes gradually increase, with teachers not describing assignments with 100% detail. When children take the first step on the path of adolescence, they yearn for some flexibility. How can this be incorporated in high school? This starts by allowing students to prepare more for their desired occupations. A student who has decided on a career path should be granted flexibility in choosing classes.
America’s preeminent education system supports Americans who want to become tomorrow’s world leaders, go-getters and game-changers, even without a complete education experience. For a student who is steadfast in becoming a computer scientist, the English, foreign language, religion, natural science, social science and performing arts education he or she receives up until the end of ninth grade is sufficient for success, as those subjects play an small role in that person’s life and the application of sufficient knowledge of those subjects is insignificant unless he or she chooses to pursue that as a career. Now, as a hopeful computer science student, he should be given the choice to double-up in the subjects conducive for his excellence as a computer scientist, such as math, computer science/programming, physics, economics, etc., to prepare him in the most ideal way possible to become what he aspires to be. This does not mean that subjects not aligned to one’s career path are useless and a waste of time. These students, if they desire to, can still take any class they want, regardless of whether or not it is specific to the path of computer science. They simply should have the option of taking multiple classes for the same subject. Thus, high schools should allow ambitious students to double-up in classes for the careers that they are bound to pursue. And for the students who are unsure of their future, they may continue with the classes a normal education system includes, to gain exposure to the different subjects and develop an interest for a certain one that they feel comfortable in and willing to pursue.
However, despite America’s distinguished schooling system, there are still major reforms that need to take place. Classes focus on the strict academic achievement of students, yet it is a student’s personal and social growth that takes him far in college. Voting, political activism, environmental stewardship, work ethics, public relations, integrity, knowledge of current events and community involvement should be encouraged in academic classes, providing a holistic, well-rounded education that supports a student through their college lives and beyond.
We teenagers have a choice. As the leaders and legacy-leavers of tomorrow, it is our duty to be a trailblazer in developing generations of innovators, geniuses, creators, and helping hands across the globe. And all of that starts with one step: refining and taking advantage of our one-of-a-kind education system.
