The Behemoth: Modern Schooling

Our schools have descended into the murky waters of needless math and science, standardized testing, neglectful teaching of English, and shoddy rule-making. I write this as a declaration of some sort: Of how public schools consistently fail their students.

Curricula

Students ought to be taught the foundations of prose, cursive writing, management of finances, basic economy, politics, the rudiments of the three branches of government (which a whopping seventy-percent of our country is unaware of), and the constitutional rights they have as American citizens. Instead of being taught those practical things, students’ brains are being crammed with mathematical formulas and scientific distinctions between the different models of an atom — two, of the many, things that normal people do not need to be aware of. Which brings me to the next point: Subject matter should be general.

It is to my sincere bewilderment that students are being taught things specific to one trade. Take the aforesaid teaching of the history of atoms as an example. Who applies that sort of knowledge? Scientists. And I assert, with ninety-nine-percent surety, that every student taught that will not become a scientist. Some will be truck drivers, cashiers, teachers, lawyers, and the like. So, why does a classroom full of students need to be taught material applied only…