Are middle school and high school students currently *required* to take enough science classes?

Question

Should we decrease or increase the number of required courses?

Explain.

Answer 1

I would rather see an increase in quality than in increase in classroom hours. It's apparent that many Americans don't understand the difference between correlation and causation, and just one science class SHOULD have cleared that up on day one.

Answer 2

Well, not having children myself I'm not up on what the public schools in my state require. I know when I was in high school (20+ years ago ) only two science credits were required for graduation. I took four - biology, chemistry and two years of physics.

I think every high school student should be required to have four credits in sciences, maths and English, two in social sciences with US history required. I think that high schools allow so many electives that most kids don't grasp the basics.

Answer 3

I finished HS not to long ago and I was required to take biology, earth science, and chemistry. That was enough for me...sorry I had no interest in physics or any of the more advanced sciences. I think it's fine just the way it is. The kids who wanted to make more science classes had the option to so, I don't think they should be forced to take any more. I think I understand where your coming from, science is important but most kids are gonna BS through it anyway. So I think it should stay the way it is.

Answer 4

In my daughters school they are required to take one science class a year. Same with English and Math. But they only are required one class of PE for all of high school. I wonder if this is why we are becoming an overweight nation?

Answer 5

In my state they're required to take enough science classes, but I think the intensity and quality of the material leaves much to be desired. We're quickly becoming a nation of marginal thinkers, and rewarding those with a lack of initiative.

Answer 6

Increase. The emphasis on science overall is severely lacking in this country of late, even with the overall decent literacy rate with technology, thanks to the availability of computers and other technological items. The emphasis needs to be put on everything, really--math, English, foreign languages, geography, social studies. Kids' overall knowledge of all of these topics is slipping more and more, it seems... personally, that bothers me. Given that all of these classes still exist in school, I question whether the curriculum is designed to ensure that kids excel in these areas, or merely meet the lowest possible status quo. There is no feasible reason NOT to challenge kids to do the best that they possibly can in these areas.

Oh, and that dead squirrel must be lying on some change--because Bad Squirrel's right on the money. :->

Answer 7

Students at all levels are woefully ill-informed about the scientific basis for their world.

I think that effective science courses should begin in 3rd grade, and that the current raft of science offerings should be doubled at the high school level.

Answer 8

Just keep it the same. To get into a decent college, you pretty much have to take at least one science class every semester, and at least one or two AP sciences during high school.

Answer 9

Judging by the "why are there still apes" questions here in the Religion & Spirituality section, I'd say that we should increase the number of required courses.

Why, just today, I asked the "why are there apes" question myself.

Answer 10

category: cultures and groups.....