True, did you read the last bit of my previous post?
I think a system like that would be useful, you teach the kids what they need to know at a more casual pace that they're comfortable with, AND it won't count as a VCE subject.

Should English be a mandatory year 11 & 12 subject?

YES.

English will stay compulsory in senior high schools (at least for TER students) as long as universities make it the basic prerequisite for any course. And fair enough too, especially since many of the skills that you use in it are vital for uni, from articulation of thoughts and logical thinking to expanding your minds by exploring wider social issues and critical awareness.

Another point: if universities ever drop their English requirements for local students, they will have to do the same for international students too, therefore opening up a world of trouble for themselves, so it's never going to happen.

English will ALWAYS be a university prerequisite in this country unless we're invaded by a non-english speaking country.

it wasnt destroyed by the internet, it was destroyed by an education system that failed to teach grammar and many of the basics for too long

the public school system is to blame, not the internet

It's not entirely the fault of the school system. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. They teach the content and it's not always their fault if the students don't learn anything from it. I've watched kids hand in papers written in leet speak.

Science and Maths should be compulsory subjects long before English (aka basic philosophy/psychology/sociology) should be compulsory.
We'd have a lot less problems in society today if Science was compulsory over English. Critical thinking would do wonders

Well in Victoria English is not mandatory, as long as you pick up Literature instead. Math and Science should not be compulsory in the senior years (11 and 12). I mean, if you have done Math all your life from K-10 and you still don't know how to add, well that's a problem with the individual, or the way it has been taught. Science is an iffy one, but again, it has to remain the students decision.

I did General Math last year ( year 11 for me) and it really was bullshit. All you needed to know were very basic, simple formulas and to make it mandatory would be a waste of a subject allocation for many students.

Edited by jlm8695: 3/10/2012 12:59:25 PM

Lit is an english subject. You have to do at least on english language subject.

Yeah my bad, thought the question meant english as the core subject, not an english language subject.

The science taught in schools must be very basic then. It is very difficult to do science without maths. Maths is a foundational block of science. For example, the table of elements taught in physics/chemistry is based on mathematically theory.

At my school in QLD, a form of English and a form of Maths is always compulsary. In the junior grades (8, 9, 10) EVERY STUDENT had to do a semester of every subject that our school offerred.

SOSE was an introduction to Modern History either taught in year 9 or 10
Year 10 Advanced Science was an introduction to what chemistry and phsyics could be like.
Health and Physical Education (HPE) had components of Senior HPE (more theory based) and Recreational Studies (more practical based).
Year 10 Computer Studies gave students an idea of what Senior Business and ICT would be like
Woodwork and Metalwork gave students a look into what subjects like Construction, Engineering Studies and Furnishing Studies.
Drama/Media Studies was combined into one subject to give students a look at what that could be like in Senior Grades
And Cooking or Early Childhood had to be taken for one semester to give students a look at the hospitality side of things.

Despite my school not having all the latest technologies and being very poor on reputation, I cannot fault them at all when it comes to giving me and my peers the best possible education.

So to answer your question I believe a form of English studies has to be compulsary for students in year 11 and 12, it teaches so many life skills, and is probably the best subject in preparing students for tertiary education, even the non-OP english is great, as it shows students what the real world is like and enchances students' skills so they have better opportunities to get a good job and what not.

Sorry for the long read but I just wanted to put my 2 cents in :)

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