"Why are you forcing my son to take chemistry?"

[sql]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ake-chemistry/

I completely agree with this article. I believe that the United States has too much of a focus on general education, and forces students to do years of subjects that they hate and struggle in for their entire school career. I think it would be better to have an education system more like the one in Israel, with high school majors and minors so students can semi-specialize at a younger age, if they want to. I know that if I was allowed to take Social Sciences classes instead of Exact Sciences classes, I would've done much better.

[spanish catalan]

I hate chemistry

[sql]

I hate chemistry

Yeah, I'd have failed if I couldn't retake tests

[Grenzland]

You don't know but many European nations were proud of their education system.

The difference was: We as Germans wanted to have an education system that does not make a nerd out of you so you are good at one special point (for example chemistry) but you don't know anything about history, literature or mathematics, no, you should know a bit of everything. You should know basics of all of these subjects so you are a worthy member of society and can specialize later on.

Seems you see school like a institution to prepare you for a job but it was meant to form intelligent self thinking persons out of you. Of course modern America does not people like that and Washingtonpost even hates them, they could buy something else.

Nothing wrong with that, life is not easy and if you want a graduation, then also learn for difficult things.

[sql]

You don't know but many European nations were proud of their education system.

The difference was: We as Germans wanted to have an education system that does not make a nerd out of you so you are good at one special point (for example chemistry) but you don't know anything about history, literature or mathematics, no, you should know a bit of everything. You should know basics of all of these subjects so you are a worthy member of society and can specialize later on.

Seems you see school like a institution to prepare you for a job but it was meant to form intelligent self thinking persons out of you. Of course modern America does not people like that and Washingtonpost even hates them, they could buy something else.

Nothing wrong with that, life is not easy and if you want a graduation, then also learn for difficult things.

History and literature are obviously important to know how modern culture came to be, but what good does balancing equations do for anyone not working in a job related to Chemistry? Like the article said, exposing him to Chemistry is fine, but making him study it for a year is excessive.

[Grenzland]

Oh my God, the poor boy...

That's why most of American high schools are worthless today.

[sql]

Oh my God, the poor boy...

That's why most of American high schools are worthless today.

You're missing the point. You think this is "Little Johnny is studying something hard! Oh no! ", when it is actually "He should be allowed to take other challenging subjects that interest him and he is more likely to succeed in and take away something from it".

[Carignan]

Basic Physics, Chemistry and Biology are useful knowledge that can be used in everyday life. I can agree that they may be difficult for some people, but I think they are mandatory to make a well-rounded individual.

[Aviator]

Taking seemingly useless, but difficult courses is a form of exercising your brain. People don't go to the gym and lift weights so that they're able to pick up slightly bigger dumbbells, they go to the gym and lift weights to become stronger. People aren't forced to take physics in high school solely so that they understand physics, but also because it strengthens their neural network. Of course, having educated and well rounded citizens doesn't hurt either.

[Lightman]

This article was written so crudely with its facile syntax structure as if some adolescent from middle school wrote this. It is no wonder his son can't do chemistry because he is just as fucking retarded as his father is. Since intelligence is hereditary the apple doesn't fall far from the tree as usual. If his son is in the far left of the bell curve in terms of intelligence then why should society accommodate this fucking retard when he isn't going to be successful in life anyway. Hes better off dropping out of school and doing simple blue collar manual labor which is more suitable for his double digit IQ intelligence.