A-level Simone Omar argues that studying sociology should be compulsory in all UK secondary schools.
They were making the most dreadful noise that day, they sounded like crows squawking as they screamed across the classroom. You could see the veins almost bursting out of the teachers head as he filled with anger. They cackled at one another like a witch’s coven. Want to know what the most frustrating thing was? They were all exceptionally bright students with so much going for them. And yes I know you’re probably thinking how does she know? Well I was in fact one of those students that day and the others were my friends. My view on school at this
It wasn’t until I walked into my first GCSE sociology class two years ago that I realised what I went to school for. After one lesson I was completely won over and could not wait to go back. Every lesson I learned something I can honestly say I would have not learnt anywhere else. When taught the right way and with a brilliant teacher like mine (yes he really was brilliant) the subject is truly inspiring. Studying education was part of the course, it incredibly expressed the importance of learning and valuing the education you are given for free until the age of 18. If all young people were even taught this small section I believe they would try much more and appreciate what they are being given as I did. Even though sociology comes with lot of work once the subject begins being taught to you, you start to unexpectedly experience many of the things discussed in the topic, which makes it easier to remember.
For example you get taught about the effect of self-fulfilling prophecies the process in which a student gets told that they are not doing well by peers or others and so they stop trying, I experienced this in many class rooms around school. One time in a history lesson my friend had a confrontation with a teacher as she hadn’t done her homework. He clearly explained if she didn’t try a little harder