Compulsory subjects at school > your thoughts?

[Daviduhlich]

I didn't do well in high school (2.3 gpa), and I think it was because I didn't try unless I saw the value of what I was doing. Now I'm in college, all of my classes are related to my future career, and I am doing much better. Because I understand why I need the classes. I also realized that a lot of stuff in high school was more important than I thought, but nobody ever really explained that to me. That's not to say it was their fault, but I do think teachers should be able to explain why their classes are important, and a lot of them just can't.

[Iamdan]

English should be compulsory, we don't need any more illiterate morons.

 

 

 

If you need it for your career or not, basic skills are needed because otherwise it brings society down as a whole.

[Rebdragon]

Religious stuides, I for one, hated this. I didn't see much point in it either, sure it teaches some morals, but you can pick those up anywhere. I really see no point in learning about other religions, when I honestly, could not give a crap, it won't help me much, if it all.

 

Really? I found World Religions class to be one of the most thought provoking and valuable classes that I ever took.

[thrash-boy]

So what language did Shakespeare write Romeo & Juliet in? Chinese?

 

english, but a very old type of english. the kind people would be talking in 500 years ago maybe. its certainly not relevant to now anyway. i done a quick google to find an example:

 

 

 

Sampson: Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.

 

Gregory: No, for then we should be colliers.

 

Sampson: I mean, an we be in choler we'll draw.

 

Gregory: Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.

 

Sampson: I strike quickly, being moved.

 

Gregory: But thou art not quickly moved to strike.

 

Sampson: A dog of the house of Montague moves me.

 

Gregory: To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand:

 

therefore, if thou art moved, thou runn'st away.

 

and it continues here: http://www.literaturepage.com/read/shak ... iet-3.html

 

 

 

now i dont know about other people, but all i can extract from that is they are talking about drawing swords and striking or something. and that's only because ive read the book and seen 2 movies on the subject, if i hadn't i would have no idea what they were on about.

[Iamdan]

So what language did Shakespeare write Romeo & Juliet in? Chinese?

 

english, but a very old type of english.

 

 

 

He actually invented his own language called Elizabethan.

[thrash-boy]

So what language did Shakespeare write Romeo & Juliet in? Chinese?

 

english, but a very old type of english.

 

 

 

He actually invented his own language called Elizabethan.

 

really?

 

you learn something new every day :thumbsup:

[doomy]

EDIT: respoinded to title not post :P

[Powman3]

I'm going to agree with everyone that are basically pointing out their views and opinions, and explaining them.

 

 

 

Of course it should be compulsory.

 

 

 

The reason they have literature from William Shakespeare in English is because of the fact that he was not only playwright, but a writer (I may be wrong but I think he kept a journal) and a poet. They want you to understand Old English, because not everyone use to speak like you and I. It even helps if you're a historian who enjoys researching subjects like Shakespeare and stuff that's Anglo-Saxon related.

 

 

 

You can't say "I h4t3 3nglish b3caus3 I d0n't 4pply mys3lf 4nd i'm n0 g00d". You obviously don't try hard enough and don't want to understand the value that it could have in your career and quite possibly the rest of your life.

 

 

 

[hide=I can find many jobs (or careers if you wish to pursue that far) that require good knowledge in the English subject (though I'm really tired and it's 1]Journalism

 

Playwright (they earn some decent money)

 

Author

 

Actor

 

 

 

Seriously, do you really think you need math in every job?[/hide]

 

 

 

EDIT: I seriously am tired. That's four careers.

[Zonorhc]

How is Shakespeare's English irrelevant to modern English?

 

 

 

The bastard practically turned the wad of crap that was Middle English into something resembling the modern language.

[Furah]

You can't say "I h4t3 3nglish b3caus3 I d0n't 4pply mys3lf 4nd i'm n0 g00d".

 

 

 

I and many others excell at english, yet don't see a point in it being mandatory, seeing most of the stuff is irrelivent anyways (tell me where in programming or photo/video editing, the jobs I want to do, will you need to know how to analise poems and photos, or even to write an essay). Infact, the only reason I haven't left the top english class to go the bottomw is because most of my friends are in the higher classes. I mean I could understand maths or IST due to the world today, but not english

 

 

 

I see no problem with having mandatory classes in school, at least for the basic subjects. At my school, you need to take a full four years of Math, Science, Social Studies, and English as well as some health, gym and other classes. If classes are not mandated, then it's just too easy to have students taking nothing but worthless classes, and not learning anything at all while using up tax dollars. With no mandatory classes, its just too easy to have someone take nothing but art classes or something else that does not teach anything useful.

 

 

 

but (atleast in Aus) you need to do atleast 12 units of work for yr 11, but can drop down to 10 in yr 12. Not only that but some classes only have 1 unit, which means you would need to do more subjects to get the req. 12 (it also means if you do 4 units maths or english you get the most free periods a week, but it is alot harder)

[Ginger_Warrior]

I and many others excell at english

 

Oh, do you really? When you write a paragraph like this:

 

I and many others excell at english, yet don't see a point in it being mandatory, seeing (as) most of the stuff is irrelivent anyways (tell me where in programming or photo/video editing, the jobs I want to do, will you need to know how to analise poems and photos, or even to write an essay). In fact, the only reason I haven't left the top english class to go (to) the bottom is because most of my friends are in the higher classes. I mean(comma needed) I could understand maths or IST due to the world today, but not english(full stop/period needed)

 

I realise you might not use English as your first language, but don't claim you 'excell' at it when your spelling and grammar are, frankly, awful.

 

 

 

Pedantic argument aside, how is English irrelevant to the modern day world? You can have all the ICT skills going - it means nothing if you cannot effectively articulate what you are trying to say to another person. Likewise, you could use the skills gained in Mathematics to become an accountant, but if you lack the vocabulary to discuss a business's accounts with someone, you're going to be pretty hopeless in that job.

 

 

 

Knowledge of the English language (perhaps French and arguably, Chinese Mandarin) is more vital to success in the modern day world than Maths or ICT. Skills mean nothing if you cannot communicate to other people.

[Kiriyama]

Religious stuides, I for one, hated this. I didn't see much point in it either, sure it teaches some morals, but you can pick those up anywhere. I really see no point in learning about other religions, when I honestly, could not give a crap, it won't help me much, if it all.

 

Really? I found World Religions class to be one of the most thought provoking and valuable classes that I ever took.

 

 

 

Ours was pretty dull.

 

 

 

I can't remember much about it, but, I remember learning somethings about Hinduism, and all they taught was actually pretty boring.

 

 

 

Hell, the high point of those was the last lesson of term where we actually did no work and just watched a DvD or something.

[ThurinEthir]

You will need good English skills to apply for a good college, and possibly apply for a good job. Not to mention, in America, English-related stuff makes up 2/3 of the SAT. (I find that ridiculous, but that's because I suck at English.)

 

I heard that if you know English, Chinese (Mandarin) and Arabic, you're basically able to communicate with everyone to some extent. I'm assuming it's an exaggeration, but still...English is widely regarded as the global language (I say math is :P ), and believe it or not, it'll be important in life.

[dsavi]

I love English, I wish the course they taught at school was as advanced as the course they teach in Swedish. (I'm in a a Swedish school, I'm one of 2 native English speakers out of 700)

 

 

 

Can't say I am with you in your opinions on this, in my opinion everyone with English as a mother tongue and no special difficulties/disabilities should learn English so that they can speak it with proficiency.

[Tim]

You can't say "I h4t3 3nglish b3caus3 I d0n't 4pply mys3lf 4nd i'm n0 g00d".

 

 

 

I and many others excell at english, yet don't see a point in it being mandatory, seeing most of the stuff is irrelivent anyways (tell me where in programming or photo/video editing, the jobs I want to do, will you need to know how to analise poems and photos, or even to write an essay). Infact, the only reason I haven't left the top english class to go the bottomw is because most of my friends are in the higher classes. I mean I could understand maths or IST due to the world today, but not english

 

 

 

 

i can do excellent in english myself but the topic, the material and the classes im in just suck that badly i perform bad. i too am trying to get into a career as a photographer (otherwise i've wasted 2 years of courses for nothing : ) but the topics im given and not given a chance to select are total crap. im reading books from 1950's for god's sake.

[Furah]

I and many others excell at english

 

Oh, do you really? When you write a paragraph like this:

 

I and many others excell at english, yet don't see a point in it being mandatory, seeing (as) most of the stuff is irrelivent anyways (tell me where in programming or photo/video editing, the jobs I want to do, will you need to know how to analise poems and photos, or even to write an essay). In fact, the only reason I haven't left the top english class to go (to) the bottom is because most of my friends are in the higher classes. I mean(comma needed) I could understand maths or IST due to the world today, but not english(full stop/period needed)

 

I realise you might not use English as your first language, but don't claim you 'excell' at it when your spelling and grammar are, frankly, awful.

 

 

 

Pedantic argument aside, how is English irrelevant to the modern day world? You can have all the ICT skills going - it means nothing if you cannot effectively articulate what you are trying to say to another person. Likewise, you could use the skills gained in Mathematics to become an accountant, but if you lack the vocabulary to discuss a business's accounts with someone, you're going to be pretty hopeless in that job.

 

 

 

Knowledge of the English language (perhaps French and arguably, Chinese Mandarin) is more vital to success in the modern day world than Maths or ICT. Skills mean nothing if you cannot communicate to other people.

 

 

 

English is the only language I use, and I was really tired when I wrote that, so I am sorry about that, and just because I don't use proper spelling and grammer online doesn't mean I do not excel at English. I also realise I would need a good vocabulary and to be articulate for those jobs, yet I don't want to pick those jobs, mainly because they don't interest me, so why do I need to spend the next 2 years on a subject I hate and will not pay attention to?

[Nabbagad]

I feel both ways about compulsory English, because writing and speaking skills are important but I still think there is a lot of pointless stuff we do in it too.

 

 

 

I'm pretty good at English, in fact I'm doing the advanced course but it doesn't mean I like it.

 

I'm only doing the advanced course because I can, and it will give me a better overall result than if I were doing standard.

 

 

 

But I hate it how there's no exact answers and it seems a lot of it is made up.

 

 

 

And I don't see how puns in Shakespeare plays, that no one can understand until the teacher tells us what those old English words mean, is necessary.

 

 

 

Or, it's unique how the author did this.... but if I try to do it, its wrong.

 

 

 

And that sentence doesn't seem to make sense... Oh the author did that on purpose to show ....

 

 

 

In this film, the trees are blowing in this direction to give a representation of ...... and it was all done on purpose.

 

 

 

etc.. etc..

 

 

 

That's what I hate about it :roll:

[jemathonical]

The only compulsary subjects at my school are Maths and English. And there is different levels for subject so I'm not all that stressed. I am not going for an OP so I am doing all the easy subjects, and getting QCE points.

 

Anywho, I do think they should stay compulsary, if you pick the right subject for your ability you'll be right. And if you are getting a trade, most trades require that you completed English and Maths, because they all help. If you're gonna be a sparky then you will need a fairly good level of Maths and English for communicational skills.

 

And don't worry about being shy, when you enter the workforce you will get more confident.

[Sumpta]

So what language did Shakespeare write Romeo & Juliet in? Chinese?

 

english, but a very old type of english.

 

 

 

He actually invented his own language called Elizabethan.

 

 

 

:wall:

 

 

 

Unbelievable how little some of you know about your own language and how important it apparently is to have a compulsory mother tongue class.

 

 

 

Shakespeare was a writer and a poet and as such, made use of language in a very specific, poetical, idiosyncratic and inventive way. During his time, there wasn't a fixed grammar and/or spelling, but the creators of grammars and dictionaries in the centuries after Shakespeare were influenced a lot by his language. That is no more than logical, considering Shakespeare's huge popularity, and the availability of his texts, then and now.

 

 

 

What did you think? That one day he decided to personally create a whole new language starting from the completely brutish Middle English (eyeroll) and called it Elizabethan as a compliment to his Queen? Should have been fun for the other Elizabethans who attended his plays and wouldn't have understood a word.

 

 

 

Anyway. Compulsory or not depends on your idea of what you wish to do after school. If you want to work, high school should offer practical courses that you can choose yourself. If you want to further your studies, high school is a good place to learn the basics of as many fields as possible, giving you the chance to choose your field of specialisation afterwards.

[anonymous1234]

I feel both ways about compulsory English, because writing and speaking skills are important but I still think there is a lot of pointless stuff we do in it too.

 

 

 

I'm pretty good at English, in fact I'm doing the advanced course but it doesn't mean I like it.

 

I'm only doing the advanced course because I can, and it will give me a better overall result than if I were doing standard.

 

 

 

But I hate it how there's no exact answers and it seems a lot of it is made up.

 

 

 

And I don't see how puns in Shakespeare plays, that no one can understand until the teacher tells us what those old English words mean, is necessary.

 

 

 

Or, it's unique how the author did this.... but if I try to do it, its wrong.

 

 

 

And that sentence doesn't seem to make sense... Oh the author did that on purpose to show ....

 

 

 

In this film, the trees are blowing in this direction to give a representation of ...... and it was all done on purpose.

 

 

 

etc.. etc..

 

 

 

That's what I hate about it :roll:

I agree 100%. Every 2 seconds my English teacher would say, "look how there was this writing style blah blah, look how Shakespeare rhymed this word with that one," and all those other studpid little things that there was no way he planned. Some people take Shakespeare's writing more serious than their own religion :roll: