This response has been made to the following article:
http://english.basd.k12.wi.us/mocarski/collegeenglish/botstein.pdf
Leon Botstein wrote the article to try to persuade people to see his point of view in high school effecting society. He forms an idea to stop high school from damaging these young adults by taking away high school and have a junior college instead.
Botstein starts his article explaining how high school is mixed with the real world along with the fantasy world.People are divided into groups. The biggest groups of all are the insiders and the outsiders. The insiders are the popular individuals who are attractive and athletic while the outsiders lack those qualities. It could be argued that the qualities match up with the real world. Most adults have their own little world within their work occupation but when they come home to be themselves and relax, they watch sports. So although athletes do not rule the world, they are powerful and liked because of their ability to be physical.He then further evaluates that smaller groups are based on masculinity, femininity, rate of growth, and age. While this may be true, in the work fields, people are also segregated by wealth, power, associations, and experiences. Some of these qualities are influenced by the high school version of the real world.
Another quality that seems to separate teenagers is emerging idea of puberty. Botstein says there's a thin line between the pubescent and the kids on the edge of changing. This would not be true nor related to the work force because hormones do not take over people's lives. They may seem to because some people strive in life to get their sexual needs. In reality, that is only a small portion of who we are. Some students could be having sex and yet still be valedictorian while the other student, who is not getting any, could be a high school drop out. Adults are also not separated by the numbers of mates they've had.
Since children are reaching adulthood faster in the twenty-first century, it would be best to rethink the schooling system. Most students behave badly in school simply because they are not interested in the topics.
We cannot make them learn something that is not relevant to what they need to do in life.
By demolishing the American High School, we create a junior college. These institutions are to fulfill the student's interest. Based by their career goal, they would go to the school specific to that area. By doing so, this helps stop the segregating of students since most will have the same interest. This institution would be for the basics. Once the student is sure of what she or he wants to do in life, they can move on to college to head out to the real world. If the child experiences a change in goal, they could simply switch schools.
For those who are unsure of their career path, they could take time off from school to figure out themselves since junior college would start after the sixth grade. Everyone will have more time to pursue towards their dream. Life is way too short to waste time dealing with unimportant things such as high school statuses.
