Should Speaking English Be Required to Graduate?

[Svartalf]

Most people speak English here, like they do in Australia, Canada and a host of other countries.

Jah love mon, Me and I we hear that better English is spoken in Jamaica than on the continent to the north.

[maiforpeace]

Are we sure that the situation is different now? Can students graduate with an F in a class?

I would doubt it - so if kids are graduating without English competency, that would mean that the minimum requirements have either gone down, or teachers are being a lot more lax in their grading.

[Bella Fortuna]

Fair dinkum, mite! Ifyer wanna mike yerself unnerstood, youse afterspik Strine.

Ewww, afterspik!

[MrJonno]

'Native' (horrid word) Brits have to have GCSE English and Maths (exams taken at 16) to go to university regardless of what other courses they pass
Foreign students have to show other compentencies in English (or at least the ability to count last numbers of £ notes)

[drl2]

Are we sure that the situation is different now? Can students graduate with an F in a class?

I would doubt it - so if kids are graduating without English competency, that would mean that the minimum requirements have either gone down, or teachers are being a lot more lax in their grading.

Even with the current "Teaching for the tests" practices brought on by NCLB (etc), I find it hard to believe a student without a workable knowledge of English could pass one of those standardized exams... are they administered in multiple languages now?

[Hermit]

Fair dinkum, mite! Ifyer wanna mike yerself unnerstood, youse afterspik Strine.

Ewww, afterspik!

kthen, yerron yerrone!

[Berthold]

This is why I'm scared to death about what my son's educational future holds...

That's what people said decades ago.

[Coito ergo sum]

Most people speak English here, like they do in Australia, Canada and a host of other countries.

Jah love mon, Me and I we hear that better English is spoken in Jamaica than on the continent to the north.

Perhaps so, and I think kids in Jamaican schools ought to learn English too.

[Coito ergo sum]

Are we sure that the situation is different now? Can students graduate with an F in a class?

I would doubt it - so if kids are graduating without English competency, that would mean that the minimum requirements have either gone down, or teachers are being a lot more lax in their grading.

That's why this issue boggled my mind. I mean - if you can't speak or understand English, how can one pass sophomore English? It seems almost axiomatic... It's like saying American kids should be able to pass high school Spanish without knowing basic Spanish or at least being able to pass the tests.

[Coito ergo sum]

'Native' (horrid word) Brits have to have GCSE English and Maths (exams taken at 16) to go to university regardless of what other courses they pass
Foreign students have to show other compentencies in English (or at least the ability to count last numbers of £ notes)

You make them learn English? How racist.

[Coito ergo sum]

Are we sure that the situation is different now? Can students graduate with an F in a class?

I would doubt it - so if kids are graduating without English competency, that would mean that the minimum requirements have either gone down, or teachers are being a lot more lax in their grading.

Even with the current "Teaching for the tests" practices brought on by NCLB (etc), I find it hard to believe a student without a workable knowledge of English could pass one of those standardized exams... are they administered in multiple languages now?

I heard they are offering the English exam in Spanish now.

[Coito ergo sum]

This is why I'm scared to death about what my son's educational future holds...

That's what people said decades ago.

And, given the dismal educations most baby boomer adults have today, our ancestor's fears were well founded.

[Bella Fortuna]

This is why I'm scared to death about what my son's educational future holds...

That's what people said decades ago.

And, given the dismal educations most baby boomer adults have today, our ancestor's fears were well founded.

Indeed. I know 'the more things change, the more they stay the same' of course, but I think public education is at its overall lowest ebb in this country.

Oh god, and now I'm thinking "Back in MY day..."

[Warren Dew]

I would add to that that when I went to school, it was impossible to graduate with an "F" in any one subject. Each subject had to be passed. Not sure if that's the same now, or if my school was rare in that regard.

You probably had a fixed class load and classes were mostly limited to required classes, with a few options.

One of my high schools allowed a varying class load, and I'm pretty sure you only had to pass all your classes if you were taking the minimum load - which, granted, is what most people did.

I do agree the idea of passing an English class or graduating an American high school without a working knowledge of English is pretty bogus.