Humanities in High School: one student’s view of their importance. From the editorial:

While medicine, engineering, math, and technology are all vastly growing industries in our modern society, I believe it is important not to neglect the humanities — grammar, rhetoric, poetry, moral philosophy and history.

At Mayo High School there are only 11 elective classes offered across all of these topics, a stark comparison to the 26 math and science elective classes offered.

Subjects such as English and social studies will always play a vital role in our society. They allow us to convey our ideas eloquently, learn from our past, and understand how civilizations function. English teaches us to better understand what we read, whether it be a news article or “Romeo and Juliet.” It also allows us to be able to clearly and effectively express our ideas and opinions through writing and speech.

History helps us to understand our past, how societies came to be, and how they function effectively. Other social studies classes, such as psychology, give us the opportunity to understand how different people learn and process emotions, and how personalities differ. These classes teach us how our society, and the people who inhabit it, function, allowing us to be more productive members of our city.

In our ever-changing world filled with revolutionary scientific and technological advancements, it can often seem as if literature, history, and other humanities are things of the past. However, they are just as vital to creating a well rounded, and functional society as they were when they were first developed in the Renaissance.

h/t Robert Townsend