Has Anyone Questioned the Fact that.. (3 Viewers)

[Courtenay]

english would be better if you could truly put opinions in, and get good marks.

In order to succeed you just rote learn and rattle it off.

and when i watch movies and read books i dont psychoanalyise them, so i don't see how english helps in my day to day life

 

[spin spin sugar]

i think the system is good the way it is. english should be compulsory. after all, we live in australia. we are australian students. we should be able to speak and write in sophisticated english. king lear aside, the SUBJECT english itself gives you important skills- analysing, essay-writing (which yes, IS important if you plan to attend university), and more.

i dont see why maths should be compulsory at all. it is not something we are required to do at a complex level day to day, as we are with english. simple addition can even be done these days using the calculator on your mobile phone.

if any subject should be made compulsory, i think something like business studies. probably the most practical subject in the entire syllabus. but not maths. and not at the level it is taught in year 12. no one needs it. everyone needs to be able to read at a sophisticated level and speak confidently.

i love that the people who study their asses off to make it into LAW are the ones that whinge about having english counted in their uai (at least, thats how it has worked in my experience)

 

[mazza_728]

I think english should be taken out! its not only a subject but also theyve hidden it in other subjects. look at most of the sciences for example-- for physics especially you have to write so much more now.. describing the practibiltiy/effectiveness of something or other! or the impact on socitey! thats not physics.. where did the raw calculations and experiments go?? i think it is extremely unfair, I agree that the HSC is biased .. promoting those with english/art (creative) brains instead of equally supporting those with maths/science brain!



START THE REBELLION!

 

[picaresque]

I don't see why having a maths/science brain means you shouldn't be able/expected to communicate adequately. The physics and chemistry extended responses aren't seeking flourishes of brilliance and an awe-inspiring vocabulary - all you have to do is be able to structure an extended response to the question and be able to convey your answer effectively. Skills which I would think are beneficial in everyday life. Being science/math orientated should not excuse a poor grasp of language.

 

[mazza_728]

thats ur opinion though picaresque.. i mean in my opinion science calculations and mathematical calculations are beneficial in everyday life so why do they not make these subjects compulsory?the whole science/maths/english/arts brain has been debated ad infinitum and honestly im over it.. people are different - they relate better to different things and i think the BOS should accomodate for this!

 

[picaresque]

I'm not being anti-calculations. Personally I think maths and english are equally important and have their place in the education system. But if education is meant to equip you for life then yes, english would be a more important fundamental skill than maths/science. You can get through life without learning inverse trig. or mathematical induction but can you say the same if you were unable to communicate adequately? It's also designed to allow students to become more discrimminating thinkers and intepret information.

I think I'm going to go into a sociological tangent if I don't shut up now - I see where you're coming from but I disagree that English shouldn't be compulsory. And the only way for people to actually care about a subject they're being forced to take is to count it in the UAI.

 

[Butterfly_Wings]

I think instead of learning how to analyse Shakespeare we should have been learning some basic grammar! So many high school students are graduating with shit english skills. (myself included, I cannot deny.)

 

[Giant Lobster]

I hate english. If I was God or bos, id make maths compulsory out of spite. then well get all these ppl who r crap at maths complaining about how maths sux. heh.

 

[Mambomeg]

i think english would be an important subject IF the stuff they taught was relevant to everyday life. But writing radio transcripts and studying king lear isnt going to help me. Basic grammar, essay structuring etc for uni, public speaking, debating and all that is useful, so why dont they focus on that instead of making us write stupid feature articles on change in perspective?

And yes maths isnt that useful, considering we study calculus and stuff which i doubt i will every use, but if they were going to make another subject compulsory, a business or computer related one would be more practical and useful in todays society. Isnt that what the new HSC is supposed to be? more practical and modern?

 

[Constip8edSkunk]

but why should some1 who wants to become an academic learn business... or a surgeon learn computing?

ok so we don't need to deconstruct shakespeare or apply freudian readings everyday of our lives but that doesnt mean english shouldnt be made compulsory. it just indicates that the contents of the subject should be re-examined... like someone said earlier, language is something that all possible careers share.

 

[MiuMiu]

Originally posted by MilfordSound
English is compulsary, meaning you have to be able to analyse king lear, yet basic addition in maths is not required for life

Basic addition is required for life, thats why we are taught it in Primary school.

 

[mazza_728]

if we were taught grammer skills/essay structuring i thiink english would be more beneficial!
anyway i think both should be made optional!

 

[Butterfly_Wings]

I think english should be compulsary, but not necessarily have to count to your UAI if you do mmore than 10 units.

 

[Tenax Propositi]

I love english and I think it is very relevant and should be included in the UAI.

Then again, I'm openly bias

 

[iambored]

Originally posted by lbft
You use concepts you learnt in year 12 English in your daily life. Stage 6 English is all about refining your skills

You use concepts you learnt in year 9/10 Maths in your daily life. Stage 6 Maths is all about learning new skills.

You use concepts you learnt in year 10 science in your daily life. Stage 6 Science courses are all about learning new knowledge.

That's why you have to do maths and science for the SC, but not for the HSC.

stage 6 eng - what do i use now? nothing. i can't remember what i learnt in sci in year 10

Originally posted by Butterfly_Wings
I think instead of learning how to analyse Shakespeare we should have been learning some basic grammar!

i agree, basic grammer AND basic maths should be compulsory

 

[spin spin sugar]

Originally posted by mazza_728
I think english should be taken out! its not only a subject but also theyve hidden it in other subjects. look at most of the sciences for example-- for physics especially you have to write so much more now.. describing the practibiltiy/effectiveness of something or other! or the impact on socitey! thats not physics.. where did the raw calculations and experiments go?? i think it is extremely unfair, I agree that the HSC is biased .. promoting those with english/art (creative) brains instead of equally supporting those with maths/science brain!



START THE REBELLION!

youve got to be fucking kidding me.

why dont you go have a look at the scaling report for 2003 - you will see that humanities based subjects (e.g, histories) actually scale FAR POORER than scientific ones such as physics. i think THAT is a promotion of those with mathematical talent at school.

which is fine. i mean you wouldnt find many people at James Ruse or the other top selective schools who did no maths or no science, would you? Yet they are the ones who succeed. so why complain? you are not disadvantaged in ANY way.

i cant believe you're complaining about writing explanations for things as if it is "hiding english in other subjects". that is just so inane and ludicrous

 

[truly-in-bliss]

Originally posted by mazza_728
if we were taught grammer skills/essay structuring i thiink english would be more beneficial!
anyway i think both should be made optional!

very true..

and mazza.. no one is trying to hide english in other subjects but urself....

 

[vanity]

too many old ladies teaching english

 

[babygoose!]

Originally posted by mazza_728
this year i was only awarded for my first in 3 unit and not in 2 unit maths and that is because i had taken up the extension!

Originally posted by mazza_728
and my 1st in 2 unit maths was given to another person (because i have the extension!!) and dux was awarded to another person (the person who got recognised for MY first in 2 unit maths) - but i thought not being recognised for my 1st in 2 unit was really unfair!

omg!! the exact same thing happened to me this year!!...we were ripped off!! i missed out on first in yr 11 cos of that as well...sucks to be us!

 

[iambored]

Originally posted by babygoose!
omg!! the exact same thing happened to me this year!!...we were ripped off!! i missed out on first in yr 11 cos of that as well...sucks to be us!

i'll tell u what else sucks, when the first in 3u does get it for 2u, and then ALSO the highest in 2u gets the same award.
meanwhile, the 2nd in 2u, who also does 3u, gets nothing.