Do any of you know why....

[TechnicalK3rbal]

Biology is a required course in high school?

[Z-Man]

Same as any other mandatory field: School is supposed to give you a broad base education. You'll specialize soon enough.

[SargeRho]

Because it's one of the most important disiplines of science?

[shynung]

High-school biology is pretty basic, at least in my country. It gives students background knowledge for those going to study related sciences, such as genetics, biochemistry, pathology, and more. Same things happen for chemistry, physics, and math.

[Tex]

High School is just like a buffet of education. It forces a whole bunch of subjects onto you until you find one that you like. I, personally, have an A- in Biology right now but I despise it. I know that my field does NOT lie in Biology or anything like Chemistry either, but it's thanks to having these courses that I know that.

Your high school should be able to offer you a bunch of courses you can decide from, so try and apply for ones that you might like.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

High School is just like a buffet of education. It forces a whole bunch of subjects onto you until you find one that you like. I, personally, have an A- in Biology right now but I despise it. I know that my field does NOT lie in Biology or anything like Chemistry either, but it's thanks to having these courses that I know that.

Your high school should be able to offer you a bunch of courses you can decide from, so try and apply for ones that you might like.

Being homeschooled, it's a bit more restrictive.....

[Red Iron Crown]

I found biology to be rather dull in high school. All rote memorization and recitation of facts, very little in the way of theory or experimentation. Physics and chemistry were far more interesting and interactive.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

I found biology to be rather dull in high school. All rote memorization and recitation of facts, very little in the way of theory or experimentation. Physics and chemistry were far more interesting and interactive.

Yes, it's not learning, it's memorizing facts for the next test.

[Sillychris]

You are an organism and you are a part of the ecosystem. Having a rudimentary grasp of your organs is surely valuable.

[jwenting]

I'd rather have biology required than learning how to change adult diapers, which is pretty much the state of stuff kids here learn (that and shoplifting, growing weed, pickpocketing, and tax evasion).

[Red Iron Crown]

I'd rather have biology required than learning how to change adult diapers, which is pretty much the state of stuff kids here learn (that and shoplifting, growing weed, pickpocketing, and tax evasion).

What kind of messed up school teaches shoplifting?

Growing weed, though, that's just applied biology.

[NASAFanboy]

We should also require Astronomy and Space Science.

It's a sham that my High School doesn't have any space-relate classes except for Physics and various engineering classes.

[CaptainKipard]

Biology is a required course in high school?

I'm sorry but it's this kind of incredulity that makes superpowers implode. Compare northern Europe to northern America. Long story short: A decent science education indirectly leads to more happiness, better standards of living, a stronger economy, less superstition, etc, etc. The polls and studies have already been done.

EDIT:

It's not the first time this has happened. the Arab world used to be at the foreront of education several hundred years ago, but then something happened. I encourage you to find out what that was, because I can't really talk about it in this forum because it's against the rules.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Cpt. Kipard

[Red Iron Crown]

If we're getting into what should be required coursework, I'll humbly offer Personal Finance. Kids coming out of school have a shocking lack of understanding of the most basic financial things: how to make a budget, how credit works, how interest works, how to evaluate investments, etc.

[CaptainKipard]

If we're getting into what should be required coursework, I'll humbly offer Personal Finance. Kids coming out of school have a shocking lack of understanding of the most basic financial things: how to make a budget, how credit works, how interest works, how to evaluate investments, etc.

I wouldn't call it shocking. Financial system seem to be purposefully designed to be as opaque and complex as possible. Sure, learning personal finance is fine if you want to keep some of that fleece on your back, but a better idea would be to give teenagers a primer on economic systems. Give a man a fish, blah, blah.

[Stargate525]

I wouldn't call it shocking. Financial system seem to be purposefully designed to be as opaque and complex as possible. Sure, learning personal finance is fine if you want to keep some of that fleece on your back, but a better idea would be to give teenagers a primer on economic systems. Give a man a fish, blah, blah.

IE, tax evasion.

But yeah, biology's required because it is useful to know the basics in a lot of different fields. It really does help with your internal BS detector.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

You are an organism and you are a part of the ecosystem. Having a rudimentary grasp of your organs is surely valuable.

Yes, rudimentary, or at least semi-advanced. I don't think understanding how a virus reporoduces is required for this.

[CaptainKipard]

IE, tax evasion.

I'm not sure what you're talking about there but it's funny how tax havens are legal for corporate "persons" but not flesh-and-bones actual persons.

I think my real point is that there are some things like economy, anthropology, or cosmology that should really be taught a little earlier, at least partially. And yes that includes things like biology and the unifying theory of biology - evolution. I guess it depends what kind of school you go to. I had science in school, but I never even heard of evolution until I was technically an adult. Guess what kind of school it was.

Yes, rudimentary, or at least semi-advanced. I don't think understanding how a virus reporoduces is required for this.

That's not really the point. Learning some things early, creates opportunities for you and your country.

[Stargate525]

I'm not sure what you're talking about there but it's funny how tax havens are legal for corporate "persons" but not flesh-and-bones actual persons.

I think my real point is that there are some things like economy, anthropology, or cosmology that should really be taught a little earlier, at least partially. And yes that includes things like biology and the unifying theory of biology - evolution. I guess it depends what kind of school you go to. I had science in school, but I never even heard of evolution until I was technically an adult. Guess what kind of school it was.

I've had a personal finance course, focused on taxes. 'Learning how to do your taxes' is essentially figuring out how to hide as much cash from the government as possible without, technically, breaking any laws. If that's not evading I don't know what is.

My economics class was pretty good, but yeah. I'd love to cover more specific classes in high school, but so much of the year is devoted to teaching what was SUPPOSED to be taught last year, and re-teaching the same blasted stuff to fix mistakes made back in grade school. American history is INCREDIBLY biased until you hit college, and I'm of the opinion that mathematics should be taught algebraically as early as possible.

[Lohan2008]

You might need it if you go learn Medicine. Biology can be useful if you want to be better at martial arts or close quarter combat as it does help.

Don't you want to know where little kermans come from ??

[Sillychris]

Yes, rudimentary, or at least semi-advanced. I don't think understanding how a virus reporoduces is required for this.

I disagree. Understanding how a virus works and what it is is pretty important to the common man since we are constantly fighting viruses.

It is surprising how much of the population can't distinguish between viruses and bacteria and thus take antibiotics for everything. Taking antibiotics for a viral infection not only does nothing to the virus, but also breeds antibiotic resistant bacteria to become a problem later. This was all covered in high school biology and that's why I don't take antibiotics for the common cold.

[szputnyik]

In Hungary, biology (both primary and high school level) is considered a very important subject because addition to theory about animals, plants, microbes and genetics, there are also pretty in-depth lessons about the human anatomy, a very basic medic training, *** education and stuff like how to identify poisonous mushrooms and plants in the wild is also taught in biology classes.

I still remember walking (more like crawling) into school at 6AM as a 10 year old, then minutes later trying to tell apart a champignon mushroom from a death cap in a test with a 5 minute time limit and struggling not to fall asleep in the process.

[Seret]

I disagree. Understanding how a virus works and what it is is pretty important to the common man since we are constantly fighting viruses.

I agree. Since you're personally going to be affected by viruses in your life (a lot, they may even kill you) It would be prudent to maintain at least a basic level of curiosity about your enemy.

[Kerbart]

Biology is a required course in high school?

Ironically you're answering your own question.

Leave it to the high school student and most of them will pick a very narrow field with only things they have interest in or deem important. That's not the right way to create academic minds. Or even minds at all. Being exposed to various elements of the world we live in is not a bad thing.