As a New York Native and a child of a middle-class family, attending a public school was an inevitable choice. Going to public school was convenient and the most affordable option. However, the experience of visiting a public school from the early age of 5 till the end of high school at the age of 18, the experience would teach us numerous things. Attending a public school in New York City has its Pros and Cons some of which are as follows.
However, as a child who has grown up with the public-school system, the issues that I find necessary to change is as follows:
1.Smaller class sizes
Every year I found myself in class sizes which often held classes with more than 30 students. This makes it difficult to ask questions, stay at the same pace as your peers, or even understand everything that is being taught.
2. More programs
There need to be more programs in schools which would allow students to allocate productive time within the school. There should be more programs which need to address the various skillsets, learning standards of all students. These programs need to be done especially in large schools in which there is a large student body. In schools with large student bodies, often it allows for students to fall out of check with their education.
3. Updated textbooks
As a student who has attended a public high school, I had to use books that had been in use for years before mine. The manual seemed a bit worn out and hadn't been updated with the necessary information needed with the evaluation of time.
4. Tutoring
I believe that a shortened time in class prevents every child from learning and understanding the knowledge that he/she needs to learn for the examinations that they are often required to take to advance to the next year. Hence, I find that kids need to be provided necessary tutoring all year around and not just around the time that their exams are nearing.
5. Academic system adaptation for each child's need.
Every child learns in their way, hence, there needs to be an academic adaptation that allows all children to learn the content. I believe that not everyone learns in the same way. Therefore it makes it difficult for everyone to succeed. Consequently, it may play against a student. A specific teaching method may set a child up for failure.
6. Guidance
As an I neared the end of my high school career, necessary leadership would have been great. It is essential that the children gain more advice on what path they should take once they exit high school. I wasn't ready for college and would have best understood what was expected of me when I would enter college.
7. Opportunity
I find that opportunity for extracurricular opportunities that would allow me to stay busy. I believe that every 11th and 12th grader should gain internship experience. It is expected to intern while in college it would be great if we begin to understand what it means to be employed before we even are supposed to work.
As a product of public education, I find that I have been able to learn a lot. However, there have been times where the public school I received was never enough. There were subjects that I didn't succeed in and would have loved the extra help while there were other subjects in which I thrived in. With time I hope that the public education system improves and allows for all the kids that attend to succeed.
