Let Teenagers Try Adulthood

           Leon Botstein is right when he argues of how "the American high school is obsolete and should be abolished." High school is just as Leon presents it, the hierarchy is simply based on popularity, athleticism, and looks. In the real world, things may be based on those qualities, but not as severely as they are in high school. In high school, the sports teams have the attention of the entire school and community surrounding it, while those who are unable to participate in events such as sports, or use their time in more academic ways, must watch as those who spend their time with sports acquire the attention. In the future though, those who spent their time on their school work end up successful while those who are popular such as the high school quarterback, may have to reconsider their plans in life and attain jobs which they dislike, due to their lack of education. While this popularity chain may exist, their is exceptions to it, as this is a generalization to what may happen.
          Botstein is also correct in that, things that happen in high school do not necessarily happen in the real life. In example, during high school, work and activities are separated, such as Botstein points out, by age, which does not and will not occur in the workplace environment. Also, in high school, one is typically allowed to choose who they may work with on assignments and projects, while in the real life, adults typically have to work with a mixture of those who they like and dislike. With an unsuccessful assignment or project, one may have a scolding by a teacher and be allowed to, in certain scenarios, turn in the work late, which eliminates the maintenance of deadline. In the workplace, however, if a deadline is not met, it is not taken from your grade, it is taken from your paycheck or can possibly even cost the job.
          Entering the work environment at an earlier age is ideal in that it helps prepare the young adult for the life ahead of them. It helps the teenager understand and better grasp responsibility rather than exposing them to another two years of relaxed responsibility in the missed deadlines. An earlier age of learning will also help the teenager with becoming social, in that the "outsiders" mentioned in Botstein's work, may not be pushed even farther outside what they accept as society in high school. The young adults will also sooner realize that college is simply different from high school in that the people teaching and running it were also considered "outsiders" at one point within their education. This understanding is better in college than high school in that some teachers in high school are coaches, who were once the star quarterback or basketball player, drawing attention to the sports teams yet again, rather than the education of the students. It is with this, that students may not reach their full potential for knowledge. In conclusion, parts of high school should be eliminated, as they provide distraction from education and may keep society from advancing further down the line, supporting the saying that "The children are our future," but extending it to those who were once children and are still the future, the teenagers.