English mandatory in school?
yes
Side Score: 7
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no
Side Score: 3
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1
point
The necessity for excellence in both numeracy and literacy skills is recognised by all those who compile the curriculums for the education of their students in every advanced nation in the world. To downgrade either one in favour of the other would be wrong. Being masterly in pure or applied mathematics is pointless if you have difficulty reading the road signs to your University or not being able to spell the name of the street in which you live. You could be signing legal documents the implications of which you could not comprehend. Equally, the worth of having a PhD in English is greatly lessened if you are incapable of checking the simple charges of a shopping bill never mind being able to calculate the time taken for the activity of a radioactive isotope to decay to half of its original value. Side: yes
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1
point
No it should not be mandatory!!! By the time we are in grade 11 and 12 we already know how to speak and write in English, so why should English be mandatory? English as a course/subject has nothing to offer for students wanting to go into the field of math, science, etc. If English wasn't mandatory students who want to go into the field of math for example could use that extra time to prepare themselves for university/college, but instead they are forced to waste their time analyzing a novel (or piece of writing). Side: no
1
point
It is useless! Throughout all my years of being in English class i can honestly say one thing, it is completely irrelevant to what we should be focused on in school. All I have ever done since 5th grade was read a book, do an essay rinse and repeat for the rest of my school days. The fact that for the 8 years after 4th grade we never really 'learned' anything just gets me a little mad. I remember when sometimes I didn't have time to complete another assignment because we had to do an English essay! I mean come on people, if you aren't learning anything in English why do we have to take it! As a matter of fact i am sitting in my English class right now doing an essay and I got curious so i looked up why we have to take English class after elementary school and this was the first link i saw. I am actually very disappointing to see that the votes are split 50/50! For those of you that are saying that it is important just know that English from a general view is a complete waste of time which can lead to high stress levels in teens and cause them now to complete other homework assignments. As if the stresses of the constant schoolwork and the infamous 'Common Core' isn't enough, the fact that English is now considered one of the most important subjects is ridiculous! If we are so concerned about our kid's education and futures, why don't we promote that they focus more on math, or science? By all means don't think of me as someone who thinks English is the devil but after you get the basics it should be an elective class. Anyway I need to go get this English essay done before I move onto doing my calculus, biology, and Western Civilization homework. Please, everyone that voted yes read this and reconsider! Side: no
1
point
The same argument could be used by those who have no interest in math but can see the importance of being proficient in the most commonly spoken language of their country and the one which is used in the compilation of all legal and constitutional documents. Those groups of students who see their future in music, the legal or medical professions, steel fixing, auto repairs to name but a few may consider that the time spent on learning math to be a disgraceful waste of time and an unnecessary distraction away from the main avenue of their prime/specialist subject. Clearly you have an excellent command of the English language but it is selfish to assume that everyone has, or indeed could easily attain your standards. In any society it is vital that the population can communicate efficiently in the official or, as in the case of the U.S, de facto language of their country. This language competency is essential to interpret the wide range of legal documents, safety instructions, road signs etc. Generally the teaching of Numeracy and literacy skills are considered to be of equal importance, but in the overall scheme of things I am of the opinion that language skills are the more important by a 'short head'. Side: yes
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