Should 4U English be a requirement for all university programs?

It’s senior year, the time most high school students have been waiting for since registering for grade 9. We are now in the final stretch of classes and even the time of year where students have began to hear back from universities that they have applied for. Finally, no more english classes needed, or is that really the case?

When applying to postsecondary institutions, every major has specific requirements in that must be completed in order for an offer of admission to be sent out. In Ontario, every university program requires 4U English credit.

Should 4U English be a requirement for all university programs? In my opinion, I personally believe that 4U English should not be necessary for all programs. Having English is a very critical skill to possess. I believe that taking 4 English courses over the course of your high school career should be a requirement to graduate, regardless of the program or school you are applying to.

Personally, I think the education system is still quite flawed. For example, I think it would be far more beneficial for a student to either complete 40 hours of volunteer work OR complete a Co-Op. Both teach you very valuable skills. However, a student wanting a career in a trade would benefit more from a Co-Op placement, rather than complete 40 hours of volunteer work.

Back to the topic, I will agree that English is a huge skill as communication is needed wherever you go. Without proper use of communication or grammar, it would be quite difficult to be a functioning member of society.

On a more personal level, I have applied to University of Guelph’s Animal Science program. This program is all about agriculture. Once I graduate high school, that will be the last english class I ever take. This is because my major is completely science based. 4U English, 4U Biology, 4U Chemistry, as well as 4 other 4U courses were the requirements. Having the science courses made sense to me as they will be needed later on in my degree. Having other courses such as horticulture or animal science I believe would be much more valuable to further my education, as well as they are more relevant to the program I applied for.

In conclusion, no, 4U English should not be requirement for admission for all university programs. English should be a requirement to to graduate high school. I believe that courses of more importance to your particular program should be requirements.