Choosing the right path for students

It’s a tough decision to make: “What do I want to be when I grow up?”, especially at the age of 12 or 13. But students in grade eight are expected to make the decision about whether to take high school courses that will lead them to either a college education or university.

A report by People for Education says the decisions grade eight kids make now can limit their full potential later in life.

Ashley MacDonald is a grade eight student in Hamilton who wants to be a paediatrician when she gets older, but her teacher has advised her and her parents to select the applied courses through high school.

“I struggle with my homework and I struggle with my work but I’m not really good at speaking up to people that I need help.”

Cindy MacDonald suggested her daughter Ashley take all academic courses, mostly because Ashley wants to be a paediatrician. Cindy agrees with the People for Education report that says kids are just too young in grade eight to make decisions that will have a long term impact on their life down the road.

“I think it’s too much for kids to handle. I don’t think they’re at the maturity level they should be, I know what I wanted to be in grade nine was completely different then when i graduated.”

One study showed that students in applied courses are less likely to graduate. In the study 88 per cent of the students who took academic mathematics in grade nine graduated from high school. But only 59 per cent of the students who took applied math graduated.

Sandie Pizzuti, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board’s assistant superintendent of student success, says the option between applied and academic helps kids focus.

“We don’t believe that the applied pathway is a dead end pathway. It does lead to college, apprenticeships.”

“We want all our kids to exit with a clear pathway in mind which leads them to a good job that they love and which help them become positive contributing citizens to our city, society and our world.”

Ashley just got a report card. She’s an average B student, but her mother believes she can achieve higher grades.

“It can be stressful because picking if I’ll be able to do academic? Or if I fail? I’ll have to retake it again at the applied level.”

What Ashley decided to do is pick some applied courses and some academic. She says she’ll see how she does in grade nine and then go from there. Students can chose to go up to the academic level later in high school if they wish.

The report also suggests applied courses result in teachers having lowered expectations of their students, students who don’t try as hard and who don’t get the benefit of being around more capable peers.