I'll 3rd that, some of the smartest people with the best expression in my year do shit at English, because it doesn't test how well someone can argue, spell, or express themselves. The people who do well are artfags who just waffle on using flowery language and other smalltalk. I get more marks deducted in legal for spelling and grammar issues than for English. The only reason why we're forced to butcher these texts is because fanatics wanted to impose their interests on us. By year 12 correct grammar and spelling should be commonplace, so I think any course with some standard of writing involved should be compulsory. Moreover, the BOS blatantly promotes prepared essays by nature of the tests being so pressed for time. The whole structure of the course made it an obsolete subject.