A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.

The quality of education system present in a nation is an important factor in determining the future of that nation. The way in which the curriculum students are taught in their budding years is as important as the contents of the course. Noted educationalists often debate on whether a nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college or not. While keeping a few quintessential topics necessary for every student may make sense, requiring all of the students to study the same national curriculum until college is counterproductive.

Asking every student to learn the history of American Revolution may be necessary since it is an integral part of where the country stands today. Similarly, enlightening him with basic geographical knowledge of each state of the USA is necessary and will serve a purpose in increasing the horizon of his knowledge. Therefore, some basic subjects should necessarily be taught before a student enters college.

Now imagine a student who has a penchant for Math since his 8th grade. He finds solace in solving quadratic equations and unraveling the mystery of complex numbers. He aspires to be a Mathematician when he grows up and has negligible interest in other subjects such as Geography and Science. Would it make sense to ask him to be thorough with all the countries of South America? Or will he be more interested in learning the proof of Archimedes theorem? The answer is obvious as to which option will be preferable.

Also, focused learning on a few subjects promotes the research mentality among students and helps in the overall progress of the nation. This will help us produce more scientists, astronomers and mathematicians for our country. Similarly our economy will be boosted through the focused research carried out by students who have made significant contributions to the field of business and technology. This is possible only if we promote them to spend significant amount of their youth in subjects that they are most passionate about.

Some critics may argue that asking students to choose their own subjects after a certain level of schooling may devoid them of equal opportunities to flourish. Also, it may be argued that the students may not be in a position to select the options that are best for their future. If a student is not sure of which topics he likes the most, he can opt for studying a little about diverse subjects and not be forced to concentrate on a few subjects.

Thus, making a few subjects compulsory for every student until college is the best option. A nation shouldn’t make all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.