Slashdot reports that many high school students are being forced to pick a major.
“As reported in the NYTimes, high school freshmen at many high schools across the nation are now being forced to pick a major. Starting this Fall, 9th graders in Florida will have to choose to major from among a set of state-approved subjects, while some students in Mississippi will have to follow one of nine designated career paths. High school administrators hope that having students declare majors will lead to greater student interest in school until graduation. College administrators think otherwise: ‘youngsters should instead concentrate on developing a broad range of critical thinking and communication skills,’ says Debra Humphreys from the Association of American Colleges and Universities.”
 |
I agree with the college administrators, and I hope this changes. Schools should be about training the students to think. Forcing them to pick a major has it’s positive points, in that it encourages focus. And focus is good. But I think it’s focus on the wrong thing. What do you think?
