What is the purpose of school? Is it necessary only to produce proficient workers? Is school a place where children should be taught the rules and ways of society? Or, should school be a place where students learn how to be well-rounded adults in order to lead fulfilling lives? We believe in the latter.
Schools should educate students in every way possible to encourage them to explore many disciplines and garner skills and qualities that will help them in the future, regardless of what career they choose to pursue. We believe that our school can do better as there is far more emphasis placed on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education than there is on non-STEM education.
Living in Silicon Valley, one of the technological capitals of the world, has created the perception that STEM education is more important for students than other types of education. Our school also supports this idea by disproportionately providing resources to students of STEM which further perpetuates the supremacy of STEM subjects.
For example, MHS currently has three academies: Digital Business Academy, Engineering and Technology Academy, and Travel and Tourism Academy. Two out of these three academies emphasize STEM majors, completely ignoring the student population that hopes to pursue non-STEM majors. The third academy, Travel and Tourism, focuses on a niche subject that fails to provide any value for a wide range of non-STEM students.
Students in academies are given the opportunities to find high-school internships, make cover letters and resumes, practice job interviews with experts, and visit numerous college campuses. These privileges are primarily given to STEM students, leaving students that are prospective non-STEM majors lost and helpless.
Additionally, MHS has recently announced the Innovation Campus as a new opportunity for students interested in STEM, giving more opportunities to those who already have plenty.
Moreover, the STEAM showcase encourages students to build projects that show-off their scientific prowess to their community and instills in our students that only things related to this field are worth showing off. If students work on projects like short stories and films or come up with ideas to increase voter registration and political participation then don’t they deserve to show these projects off, as well?
Students in non-STEM fields acquire skills imperative for any career such as communication, literacy, writing, research, analysis, critical thinking, and empathy. In classes like government and civics, students learn about the inner workings of our political system, making them more equipped to participate in a democracy as well as stay well informed. In electives such as Humanities A/B, students learn how to analyze works of art and architecture, understanding the context and true emotion behind historic pieces.
Altogether, it is this side of education that teaches students how to build relationships, think critically, and truly understand how to make sense of the world around them. However, these are the classes that often have far less enrollment than STEM courses and, while this is partly the product of environmental pressures and where we are located, our school should be advertising these courses as much as they can to ensure that more students take them.
Overall, through its lack of resources, opportunities, and options for students pursuing non-STEM fields, our school and district supports only a certain part of our student population- those that choose to pursue STEM. Adding more resources and opportunities for those pursuing non-STEM fields will encourage students to pursue this vital part of their education and also put an end to the unfair neglect that a huge part of our current student population has experienced for far too many years.