By Ajay Krishnan
School is a necessary aspect of our lives, shaping the way we are with good and bad experiences. However, one of the most overlooked areas is also one of the most basic: classes. They are the majority of time in school and even time outside of school for homework and projects. Obviously, nothing is perfect, but some aspects of school are better than others. Due to various reasons, some classes are even entirely without purpose. I recently took a poll of students in my school and their opinion on this topic.
The first class that was mentioned is History. The main reasons all center around the same idea: there is no bearing in the real world. Most jobs don’t require an analysis of the past: in most cases, quite the opposite. I will say, however, that History can and is definitely interesting in certain ways. In my opinion, the best way to solve the issue would be to make the class an elective; that way, the option is still there, but there are also other options.
The next class that is seen as unnecessary is P.E.. Almost all students agreed that being active and playing outside is not only extremely important but also fun. However, the problem with the class is not conceptual, but the execution of it. The class started becoming more and more regulated with uniforms and fitness tests as time progressed. The worst and most unfortunate part is that the classes are being pushed more towards the core and physical exercises; I feel that the job is for the gym. Many students also play sports and the extra activity taking place in P.E. is, well, extra. The solution is extremely easy: go back to what P.E. was initially. Bring back the games.
However, the class that was declared as the most useless had similar problems as History, and that is Literature. Many students find that analyzing books and texts do not have much use. I will give the class credit that reading-between-the-lines have its uses like in the law industry, but it has some flaws that really bring down the class. In my opinion, the biggest problem is the reading material. I appreciate the effort the teachers put into the books we read, but I feel like the choices are either too mature or too violent. For example, we had to read Mississippi Trial, which I really liked, but I feel it was too violent and gruesome for seventh graders. There are many light-hearted books, in my opinion, that have good morals too. I am currently reading a book for recreation called Aru Shah. The book is a comedic adventure; however, one of its main themes is peer pressure, which is definitely appropriate for seventh graders.
As mentioned before, school is a major part of our lives and there are a few classes that need fixing, but with just a few edits, we may be shaping children in a new and amazing way.
