NO, NO, NO!!!!!
Okay, so that's my emotional moment for the day. There is a program that is going to be implemented by a number of states, Maine included, that is going to give students the option to graduate from the 10th grade and advance to, at least, community college. I don't see this as a good idea because I don't think a 16-year old is mature enough to advance to a college setting. Yes, there are those special cases where the "geniuses" manage to finish high school by the age of 10, 11, etc. We should take a look at how these people are doing now, financially, psychologically, and most importantly, socially. The four years that I had in high school provided me with friendships that will last a lifetime, but it also provided me with the challenges that all high schoolers face and the time and opportunities to deal with them. A two-year high school education will not provide this. If this is about saving money, it's a bad idea. Yeah, so maybe Algebra II isn't for everyone; the experience of at least three years of math (personally, I believe in all four years) opens up options that wouldn't otherwise exist. What are some of these students going to actually do once they've graduated at the age of 16, when they are just at the age where they can be employed? Hey, while we're at trying to make their lives a bit better, why don't we lower the drinking, smoking, and voting age to 16? In essence, I'd be willing to bet that no less than 60 percent of the students that graduate after 10th grade will wish they had stayed the course in high school, if only to fortify the friendships they have started to forge. Maybe high schools should weigh the options of providing college-level courses just to keep these students challenged, but within the same physical setting. If these students are geniuses who are not benefitting from the high school setting, let them advance. I just don't believe we should be having 50-100 graduates (ballpark figure) a year who are only 16 and haven't got a strong social background. Keep the four-year program in place, or minimum of three if the graduation requirements can be met.
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Ok, I saw the article in the BDN as well. I personally think we use high school as a holding pen for far too many kids. Senioritis sets in early for many...and the senior year becomes less than a stellar and rigorous academic year. (Simply said, we waste too much time in 12th grade.)
ReplyDeleteSo, I do like your idea of making the senior year more rigorous...not less. Maybe four years of high school is (at least) one year too long?
What does everyone think?