I am in California, @toowonderful. I am very much aware of the requirements to get in the tippy top or even state schools. In the very beginning of my message and in the end I have mentioned
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I feel that students should get a lot of flexibility to pursue what they want and are good at rather than giving them same courses.
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And
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Students come with their own set of strengths and weaknesses; likes and dislikes. Let them find and play on their strengths.
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And
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-Optional Vocational course 1-2 years = If a student wants/has to quit school after 12th grade, (s)he should be able to find work and live a meaningful and contributing life. Many students and their parents don't know enough about available options.
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Please note that the vocational courses are proposed to be OPTIONAL (for some students, it would help a lot)
I have proposed flexibility with a minimum program and very advanced track for the advanced students in a particular field. Not all students can be Mathy and Artsy and Polyglot etc.
A student can take a deep dive in 1 or 2 fields only if we relieve him/her of burdening with extras outside his/her strengths. But to live life, one needs to have a minimum set of knowledge which I have proposed. Advancement is upto the student.
Many Asian countries let their students take up advanced courses in the area of interest after 10th grade relieving them of extra requirements in the non relevant courses. e.g. STEM students don’t study Social Sciences, foriegn language etc if they don’t want to. The Arts and Languages and Law students don’t have to take Pre Calculus or Physics. They specialize in the area of interest.
The US students are competing against them and its not a level playing field.
The end game is : to give talented students a chance to advance and achieve in the areas of interest rather than spreading them thin AND giving underprivileged children a skillset to be able to contribute to the society in the meaningful way.
Edited : most of the proposed courses are minimum requirement and have a clause :
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"Interested students can choose the path of advancement right from the beginning and advance as they wish"
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