While there are many good classes offered at our school, there are definitely some areas where we could use a change. Most of the school day we spend hours studying things like traditional academic areas science and history. This results in students not having much time to learn about things that would provide more practical skills for us when we graduate.
One class that would benefit many students would be one that teaches us even more about personal finance. We already have an economics class, but students can only take it for one year, and the curriculum doesn’t go into enough detail about budgeting, saving, or how credit cards really work. These are things we’ll need to know how to do as soon as we leave school, whether we want to go to college, start working, or live on our own. A second personal finance class would be helpful by teaching us the basics of actually managing money and making smart financial decisions.
Another class that would be really useful is home maintenance. A lot of students don’t know how to do basic things like fixing a faucet, changing a tire, or even replacing a bulb in a light fixture. These are things we’ll definitely need to know once we’re living on our own. It doesn’t have to be anything too complicated, just the basic skills that will save us money in the future. Learning how to take care of our homes would be extremely useful for most of us.
There are some classes that could be changed or removed to make space for more practical courses. An example is the second year of gym in high school. While gym is a graduation requirement, the current scheduling for it is difficult for some people. Even though students have the option to take PE during the summer, they shouldn’t have to give up their break just to take classes that align with their career goals. By reducing or getting rid of the two-year requirement, we could use that time to take electives that could help us in fields we have interest in such as business, technology, or cooking classes.
The requirement to take a language could also be changed. Learning another language is important, but it’s not always the best option for everyone. For those students who know they want to major or pursue careers in certain fields, it might make more sense to reduce the language requirements and offer classes in that field like coding, digital marketing, or even public speaking.
If these changes were made, our school could do a much better job of preparing us for the practical requirements of life after high school. The world is changing quickly; changing the curriculum to fit the skills we need for adulthood and are passionate about would make us feel more prepared for whatever comes next.
