The state of Illinois has many requirements for high schoolers in terms of the classes we take, but why is that? 

Students shouldn’t be required to take so many years of a class that they are not interested in pursuing a career. 

The state requires three years of science, but why is it required that students participate in a physical education class at least three days a week during the school week? Science is much more important for students to understand than how to wall climb. 

Yes, P.E. is pretty important and necessary to learn about health and wellness for everyone’s sake. It’s essential to understand the effects of drugs and alcohol, but it’s also vital that we know more about the science of the Earth, how certain things were invented, and how those have impacted human life, now and in the future. 

Climate change has become such an important topic, but how are students ever going to understand the importance of it without taking a class like Environmental Science? 

“Science should be at least required for three years,” said Environmental Science teacher Mary Beth Nawor. 

She also believes that there should be a mandate for students to take at least one Environmental Science class.  

“Kids that aren’t taking Enviro aren’t given direct instruction about climate change and other big environmental issues,” said Nawor. 

If we’re all required to take a P.E. class all four years of high school, then we should be directed to take science all four years of high school too. If not, then the school board could change the amount of P.E. required too. 

A Consumer Ed course is also required for high school students to take at least once in high school. Students shouldn’t be required to take Law, Economics, or another Consumer Ed course if they have absolutely no interest in pursuing a career in any of the fields. 

Foreign Language is also seen as something disposable, because once the two years required are over, it’s something students can just drop. However, language opens up so many more opportunities in the future, including job opportunities, but it’s seen as something too difficult to stick out. 

With only two years required of a foreign language, it gives students just about no motivation to stick it out and learn the language at a higher level. 

The state only requires Social Science classes for two years and one of which has to be U.S. History. It makes sense for high school students to learn about the history of the country they live in, but only having two years of any Social Science class shouldn’t be enough. 

The requirements for high school students made by the Illinois Student Board of Education should be adjusted. Not every student should need to take a Consumer Ed course or only need to take a certain amount of Math, Science, Social Science, and Foreign Language.