The Devil and Mrs. Hanes

Throughout my many years in school, I was always annoyed with kids who said "why do I have to learn this? I'll never use this stuff when I become a slurpy machine operator", and I heard it again recently. It is partly because I can't stand whiners, (no offence, you don’t whine!) and partly because of how reflexively they disregarded knowledge that didn't seem immediately useful to them. Let's face it, we don't learn anything beyond the basics until high school. Even then, not many teachers deviate from the straight and narrow path of the teacher’s manuals. Instead of limiting their education to what will get them jobs, all students should learn a little about what else is out there. Most importantly, everyone living in America, (or any other majority English speaking country) should learn English. It may just be my complete lack of confidence in my fellow humans, but if you live in a country, you should know how to communicate with the people who live there. English (or another language if it's more appropriate) is a necessity. It isn’t just those who were not taught English as their primary language. I mean I am tired of reading dreary, poorly worded, grammatically awkward, and stylistically flat writing. (hehe, Mrs. Hanes flashbacks, I believe she said something like that to me once) Whether it's a press release, a physics paper, a bus advertisement, or an email, any writing should have some redeeming value. If I am expected to waste my time reading it, (as if I am so important) I expect the writer to put some thought into it. The main problem is that good English teachers are sometimes impossible to find. (and here we are back to Mrs. Hanes) I can rely on the textbook for chemistry or physics, but an English course needs an effective teacher and intelligent class discussion to be successful. English is a fairly obvious necessity to American life. It's difficult to accomplish anything worthwhile without a means of communication.