Some of the arguments put forward by pro-English posters are simply ludicrous. They argue that English teaches us valuable skills. True, but the current syllabus doesn’t teach any of that. The so-called valuable skills of communication are already in place by Yr 11, because all subjects have at least one oral assessment for every year since Yr 7. If that doesn’t teach you how to communicate, HSC English definitely won’t. Spelling and grammar is the focus of middle school, in-depth analysis of Lear and Coleridge is definitely not going to teach people how to spell properly.
ccc123 said
Originally Posted by le91
There should be a compulsory 2 units of englinsh and 2 units of math for study and UAI. It should also be compulsory for students to do a humanities and a science, although they don't necessarly have to be counted for the UAI.
Um...why?
Shouldn't students, for the most part, be able to select subjects that coincide with their career aspirations/ interests/abilities?
Using the same argument against her, I pose the question, ‘Why should English be Compulsory?’, why not another subject like Australian History, or Geography.
“Not many people remember know the rich cultural background of Australia, and questions of who is ‘Edmund Barton’, or ‘Alfred Deakin’ are regularly met with blank faces. Geography is another shocker, with many people not understanding their impact on the environment. This appalling lack of knowledge can be combated by making Australian History and Geography compulsory for students doing the HSC.”
Sonyaleeisapixi said
English gives you basic life skills. the ability to speak at least vaguely confidently in front of peers and work mates, the ability to write a formal letter, to coherently write or dissect an argument, everything English gives you, you will need in the work force.
even if you work at maccas for the rest of your life.
These skills listed are actually covered by the Yr 10 syllabus; I remember doing a module dealing with arguments and fallacies. Also, this is not necessary for the workforce. If your job involves a lot of writing, sure English skills are valuable, but things like reports, require no knowledge of how language shapes meaning.
The argument that English teaches us skills for other subjects is also a complete fallacy. Of all the things I have learnt in English, writing a good essay has definitely not been one of them. In fact, my History and Geography teachers taught me how to get an argument across, and I applied that to English, and my mark improved considerably. Ecos and Business students at my school tell me that all the principles of essay writing they are taught are applied to English, and this improves my mark. It is being argued that this is working from English to other subjects, but it is actually working the other way round.
The real issue that is arising from this discussion is
Is HSC English relevant?
I agree for the need of a compulsory subject, but I believe it should be equally fair for both english and history type students and maths and science type students. If English is a compulsory subject, it gives english and history type students and unfair advantage, as well as disadvantaging students who are better at maths and science. This is why both english and maths need to be made compulsory, to create a more even playing field (though it can never be flat for various other reasons). People who say maths shouldnt be compulsory should take an imaginative journey and view this issue from the other side to gain insight.
I wish they made math compulsary too.
