Life Skills Opportunities: Driver’s Ed

Life Skills Opportunities: Driver's Ed

        With four years of schooling that consists of four English classes, three science, three history, two language, and two electives, LAUSD leaves little flexibility to include electives that focus of real-world applications of skills that will help students after graduation. So far, our parents are the ones to teach us how to pay taxes, cook, and drive. These topics should be brought up in school just in case students do not know how to do these things.


        When school is based on letter grades and not knowledge,  there is a discrepancy between what students know and what they need to know before they enter college. It can be difficult for students when they are just entering the world after high school.  It is very challenging to live on your own. Students need to be prepared for that, but when we are taking classes (that we forget over summer) it’s a waste of time.


        If a student wants to major in chemistry or math, let them take the subject. But for those who want to take business or arts, then schools should add that on to their other class requirements. I would like Taft to add classes like these to the program because it would allow students to be more prepared when entering college and take their chosen class without too much exertion.

        Taft should offer Drivers Ed because all students who have to take their permit test currently have to study on their own. This could be stressful for them because studying for a permit takes time on top of their other subjects. If we could put a driving class in school there would be safer drivers on the road and fewer tickets. Over half of all teenagers get in a car wreck in their first year of driving, usually due to being distracted.

        No student will be able to avoid taxes once they join the workforce, therefore, schools should teach us how to pay them. Schools should be able to train us how to pay different types of taxes and teach what the government does with your money. This is very important because every citizen and non-citizen in the United States must pay taxes, whether its property tax, payroll tax, income tax, consumption tax, etc. A class for paying and receiving taxes should be mandatory to all students, especially seniors.


        Schools should be more open to student decisions rather than scheduling them to a certain class. The main question is, should we make schools harder?  Not necessarily, but at the same time, students need to be prepared for college. The main goal of all schools is to teach and give you an education.

