I believe that the school curriculum is outdated and every single public school needs to make changes. Many students for years have made comments or remarks about how relevant the information being taught was and when they will ever use it in the “real world”. An article by PHILADELPHIA (CBS) made in 2019 that had information about a survey indicating only thirty seven percent of Americans used information taught to them, this thirty seven percent is what leads me to believe public schools all around America need to change, and if schools really cared about students as much as they stated then what about the other sixty  three percent that has been taught a large amount of useless information they will never utilize. The years spent in school are very important and “the most influential” if the students aren’t learning what they need to know how can a school say they’re really preparing the future citizens of America? What once worked in the past just doesn’t cut it for the students of newer generations. 

Does school really prepare for life and future career choices?

There are a lot of students that already know what profession they want to pursue, but schools don’t teach them anything about what to expect or how the professions would really be. This can make being in school agony. I myself am one of those students waiting and counting down each day until I am complete, with nothing relevant for me to learn except English and Civics. Another article from Hardvard ED. Magazine spoke about “What’s Worth Learning in School?” re-establishing the great question “when will we use the information in the real world?” in a less disrespectful way. Another issue with schools is the lack of creativity, FEE Stories “Children rarely are allowed to be children. Play is stifled. Students are crammed into a classroom and taught in a standardized way. Creativity is restricted. They aren’t allowed to harness their inquisitive minds.” This applies to all grades, 1st through 12th, schools push students into a mold and want them to take only what they provide on top of mandating classes that aren’t going to change anyone’s life, it’s in the most simple way wasting the precious time all students need to be successful in their own lives. 

What do teachers think?

I have spoken with many teachers and substitutes at Green Level High school. The teachers I talked to all teach different subjects; some have taught for a few years and others have taught many, but they had one thing in common: school must change. They stated that the school doesn’t really support fostering students to think creatively, and doesn’t mirror the way a real work environment is. “No job is going to give you a blank sheet of paper and ask you to write down the information you had to memorize from the past week.” These are the words of a teacher that felt school wasn’t preparing students for life. When am I going to have to take a test when I have a business in the holistic medicine industry? Another teacher felt like school only prepared students for college not life, but didn’t show alternatives such as how to start their own business, and that four year universities aren’t as beneficial as they used to be because times have changed significantly; some people need more training in a trade while others need 10 more years of school. It all depends on what the students’ special skills are. 

The solution 

School has been the same since the 17th century. That’s almost four hundred years; you learn to operate throughout life the way whoever constructed the school systems wanted the students to operate as future citizens. I’ve learned from my life experiences that life can change in a matter of seconds so why does the school system settle for the same thing when life has changed so much. In this case the things changing are people, industries, and yet America’s schools aren’t adapting to these changes and that can bring down society. Things that can change are the mandatory classes required by schools to graduate such as Math, English, and Social Studies. There are four years of high school and if students wish to continue those subjects it should be an option. Not every student is going to need to know how to calculate the circumference of a circle, write an informative essay, or tell someone why the Civil War started while they work in a cube shaped office. If more classes were introduced, like CTE courses or specialized programs, for students to learn and focus on their skill sets, maybe it can help them figure out what they want to do in life. I also feel options such as entrepreneurship should be mandatory in freshman year to show that there is more to a career than working for someone else, and finally more classes that help students understand the ways they feel or how to stay mentally healthy. Schools have the potential to be much better than what they are now and I just don’t think any one person can make these changes alone so if you agree with my article consider learning about the unite and conquer club to help make a change.