Why is private school performance better than public school

[alphieb]

There are no easy answers. It really depends on the school.

A lot of public schools have extensive training in dealing with dyslexia. Some private ones do as well. The school I work at has a reading specialist and she works one on one with the students to overcome this. That wasn't the case in Catholic Schools I taught at and other Private Schools.

My dyslexic cousin graduated public HS w/out ever being able to read!

I would make that issue a main point as I interview the schools.

How in the world did they grant him a diploma if he was illiterate?

 

[hipsterdufus]

How in the world did they grant him a diploma if he was illiterate?

Good question.

 

[Mr. D]

Why is private school performance better than public school performance? The teachers usually get paid less due to lack of government funding. However, istep and SAT show a dramatic differences in favor of the private school.

Private Schools

I admire anyone who cares enough about their kid to send him to a private school! I maybe full of it on other subjects, but on this one I'm an expert, and I think I'm pretty honest and objective about it!

From the inside of it for 31 years here’s what I've seen:

1. Absolutely there are poor teachers, but I've been across the country and out of the country observing teachers and schools and having some poor teachers isn't the base problem! The number one issue in whether a kid gets a good education or says "M.F." all the time is what his parents demand of him! Our country is in denial about that fact!

2. After all the "It's the public schools fault criticism", still no one explains why Asian immigrant kids who come here not even speaking English soar to the to the top the class and wind up in the best colleges becoming doctors and scientists! They do it in the same public school poor little Johnny is saying M.F. every other word! It's the attitude they bring to school with them! I dare you to visit a suburban public school where there is a high percentage of Chinese or Korean kids and you'll see it with your own eyes!

3. Public schools are a political football! They have massive interference from political leaders trying to get votes by attacking them, and educational experts with the latest answer of the day (which constantly changes)! Good teachers have their hands tied “not by the courts”, but by programs written by people who don't teach but get paid to dream up new programs, and administrators running scared that would put the toilets on the ceiling and call them showers if the board of education asked them!

4. You show me a bad teacher and I'll show you a bad administrator not doing his job, or afraid to do his job! It's a lie and just propaganda that you can't fire teachers with tenure! It's done everyday! When bad teachers aren't fired it's because administrators don't do the job of documenting poor teaching! It's not rocket science, but it takes work! I was in a high level position in a teachers union for over 25 years and believe me we didn't want bad teachers to keep their jobs and make the profession look bad! We just wanted them to have "due process" and a “fair hearing” before some administrator fired them! We told many teachers basically, "If I were your principal I would have filed against you a long time ago! Shape up or get a different job!" Not every teacher is a great teacher like every other job, but the majority of them are trying to do something good for kids! When a country blames it's problems on their teachers, don't be surprised when the best young Americans don't want to be teachers anymore! I taught in a school with 65% Asian students! I got tremendous respect from the Asian parents, but the "C' quality teachers got strong pressure from the parents and decided to go somewhere else where "C" quality was accepted, and it was! When I retired the school rated by test in the 97 percentile including all test private schools, meaning only 3% of all schools in the U.S. tested higher! Why, because I and the other teachers were great? Honestly, it was much more the attitude of the student! We aren't going to fix public schools by beating up on teachers! All you do is drive the best of young college graduates away from teaching in a country that constantly blames them for Johnny's choosing gangster rap and violent video games over getting an education! Private schools don't have to take Johnny and his parents crap, and they don't have to take the immigrants of our wide open borders that our government leaders have left wide open on purpose!

Hate public schools and teachers all you want, it's so much easier than facing the truth about the values of the kids we are creating in the U.S.!

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt!

 

[alphieb]

Private Schools

I admire anyone who cares enough about their kid to send him to a private school! I maybe full of it on other subjects, but on this one I'm an expert, and I think I'm pretty honest and objective about it!

From the inside of it for 31 years here’s what I've seen:

1. Absolutely there are poor teachers, but I've been across the country and out of the country observing teachers and schools and having some poor teachers isn't the base problem! The number one issue in whether a kid gets a good education or says "M.F." all the time is what his parents demand of him! Our country is in denial about that fact!

2. After all the "It's the public schools fault criticism", still no one explains why Asian immigrant kids who come here not even speaking English soar to the to the top the class and wind up in the best colleges becoming doctors and scientists! They do it in the same public school poor little Johnny is saying M.F. every other word! It's the attitude they bring to school with them! I dare you to visit a suburban public school where there is a high percentage of Chinese or Korean kids and you'll see it with your own eyes!

3. Public schools are a political football! They have massive interference from political leaders trying to get votes by attacking them, and educational experts with the latest answer of the day (which constantly changes)! Good teachers have their hands tied “not by the courts”, but by programs written by people who don't teach but get paid to dream up new programs, and administrators running scared that would put the toilets on the ceiling and call them showers if the board of education asked them!

4. You show me a bad teacher and I'll show you a bad administrator not doing his job, or afraid to do his job! It's a lie and just propaganda that you can't fire teachers with tenure! It's done everyday! When bad teachers aren't fired it's because administrators don't do the job of documenting poor teaching! It's not rocket science, but it takes work! I was in a high level position in a teachers union for over 25 years and believe me we didn't want bad teachers to keep their jobs and make the profession look bad! We just wanted them to have "due process" and a “fair hearing” before some administrator fired them! We told many teachers basically, "If I were your principal I would have filed against you a long time ago! Shape up or get a different job!" Not every teacher is a great teacher like every other job, but the majority of them are trying to do something good for kids! When a country blames it's problems on their teachers, don't be surprised when the best young Americans don't want to be teachers anymore! I taught in a school with 65% Asian students! I got tremendous respect from the Asian parents, but the "C' quality teachers got strong pressure from the parents and decided to go somewhere else where "C" quality was accepted, and it was! When I retired the school rated by test in the 97 percentile including all test private schools, meaning only 3% of all schools in the U.S. tested higher! Why, because I and the other teachers were great? Honestly, it was much more the attitude of the student! We aren't going to fix public schools by beating up on teachers! All you do is drive the best of young college graduates away from teaching in a country that constantly blames them for Johnny's choosing gangster rap and violent video games over getting an education! Private schools don't have to take Johnny and his parents crap, and they don't have to take the immigrants of our wide open borders that our government leaders have left wide open on purpose!

Hate public schools and teachers all you want, it's so much easier than facing the truth about the values of the kids we are creating in the U.S.!

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt!

I think you hit the nail right on the head,

 

[Mr. D]

I think you hit the nail right on the head,

If you are a teacher, hang in there for the kids! Close your classroom door behind you and block out all the anti teacher/anti public school scapegoating and do you your best for the kids! I hope you have a few Asian American or immigrant students in your classroom so you get some appreciation from parents for your hard work! I had about 65% Asian students, and when I retired a group came to my classroom and offered to pay me more money out of their own pockets if I would not retire! Illegal, but heartwarming! Every year I was showered with embarrassingly expensive Christmas presents by parents! (And not a word was ever said about "Christmas Trees or caroles" contrary to what the far right says!) These Asian kids went from a PUBLIC SCHOOL to Stanford, UCLA and the best colleges to become doctors and scientists! They didn't know they were in a lousy public school! They came to learn and respect education because their parents taught them those values at home!

Teachers hang in there, be proud! You know what you're are doing for kids even if some American born parents don't!
:2wave

 

[zk655]

Why is private school performance better than public school performance? The teachers usually get paid less due to lack of government funding. However, istep and SAT show a dramatic differences in favor of the private school.

1) The teachers generally have smaller class sizes, therefore allowing them to spend more time with the students on an individual basis.

2) They are not forced to teach their subject through a narrow and ridgid lesson plan, and are actually encouraged to use their own creativity.

3) Although they do not receive federal funding; through tuition costs, mandatory fundraising events, and donations by the parents, these schools generally have better supplies, modern and updated equipment, and are able to keep their facilities in proper working order.

4) Because the Schools are private, they are allowed to hand-pick the students they wish to educate and turn away those that don't meet their requirements.

5) They don't have to spend money on special education unless they want to. Public Schools do not have this option and this is where a lot of the so-called "overspending" goes. Instead, other private schools are created to teach these children at a MUCH higher cost to the parent.

6) Because they have the freedom to accept who they want, they don't have to deal with "problem children".

7) Parents that send their children to a private school generally make education a high priority in their children's lives and therefore are more likely to take an active role in their children's education and have a relationship with the educator.

On the surface, the teacher may not get paid what he/she would in a public school. However, they have far less redtape to deal with, can become more intimately involved with the teaching process of every child, generally work in a nicer environment, and enjoy support rather than disdain from the community they are helping to educate. In some cases the school may even assist with or fully subsidize teacher's living expenses.

The difference is night and day.

 

[Mr. D]

1) The teachers generally have smaller class sizes, therefore allowing them to spend more time with the students on an individual basis.

2) They are not forced to teach their subject through a narrow and ridgid lesson plan, and are actually encouraged to use their own creativity.

3) Although they do not receive federal funding; through tuition costs, mandatory fundraising events, and donations by the parents, these schools generally have better supplies, modern and updated equipment, and are able to keep their facilities in proper working order.

4) Because the Schools are private, they are allowed to hand-pick the students they wish to educate and turn away those that don't meet their requirements.

5) They don't have to spend money on special education unless they want to. Public Schools do not have this option and this is where a lot of the so-called "overspending" goes. Instead, other private schools are created to teach these children at a MUCH higher cost to the parent.

6) Because they have the freedom to accept who they want, they don't have to deal with "problem children".

7) Parents that send their children to a private school generally make education a high priority in their children's lives and therefore are more likely to take an active role in their children's education and have a relationship with the educator.

On the surface, the teacher may not get paid what he/she would in a public school. However, they have far less redtape to deal with, can become more intimately involved with the teaching process of every child, generally work in a nicer environment, and enjoy support rather than disdain from the community they are helping to educate. In some cases the school may even assist with or fully subsidize teacher's living expenses.

The difference is night and day.

Many of your points are valid, but it is a typical broad sweep generalization assuming that most private schools are better than public schools! Absolutely not true! Much of what causes that assumption is the necessary P.R. private schools must create to justify the extra cost to the parents. The smartest thing a parent can do is to put the issue of private and public aside and simply take a very close look at the school and talk to parents who are "opened minded" and not prejudiced about public education! Many very conservative types would not give credit to the best public school in the U.S. because of their religious ideology and agenda! If a parent wants their children indoctrinated into a very narrow view of the world, a religiously oriented private school may their your cup of tea! Also, in some areas no good public schools are found because of the community that lives there, and a parent may have to choose a private school. Parents get the schools they demand! When a public school is poor it is because parents have accepted it either from lack of interest, or lack of knowledge how to pressure the school to improve!

In the school which I taught if you were a mediocre teacher the community pressure would drive you to transfer to another neighborhood where parents would accept your poor teaching! Many did! With 65% Asian parents a good teacher got wonderful support and thanks and a poor teacher got constant pressure to improve or move! Parents demanded the student prove he/she was working hard before blaming the school or teacher! What a concept! We get the schools we demand!

 

[alphieb]

Many of your points are valid, but it is a typical broad sweep generalization assuming that most private schools are better than public schools! Absolutely not true! Much of what causes that assumption is the necessary P.R. private schools must create to justify the extra cost to the parents. The smartest thing a parent can do is to put the issue of private and public aside and simply take a very close look at the school and talk to parents who are "opened minded" and not prejudiced about public education! Many very conservative types would not give credit to the best public school in the U.S. because of their religious ideology and agenda! If a parent wants their children indoctrinated into a very narrow view of the world, a religiously oriented private school may their your cup of tea! Also, in some areas no good public schools are found because of the community that lives there, and a parent may have to choose a private school. Parents get the schools they demand! When a public school is poor it is because parents have accepted it either from lack of interest, or lack of knowledge how to pressure the school to improve!

In the school which I taught if you were a mediocre teacher the community pressure would drive you to transfer to another neighborhood where parents would accept your poor teaching! Many did! With 65% Asian parents a good teacher got wonderful support and thanks and a poor teacher got constant pressure to improve or move! Parents demanded the student prove he/she was working hard before blaming the school or teacher! What a concept! We get the schools we demand!

When I was in school it seemed like every Asian kid was so bright. I think part of it is genetics.

 

[Mr. D]

When I was in school it seemed like every Asian kid was so bright. I think part of it is genetics.

It's not genetics, it's values! We have to use the cop out of genetics or it will show very, very clearly that something stinks in the charge that American schools are failing kids! They don't fail kids who want to learn! I taught Asian kids for 31 years! Middle and upper class Asian families place a extremely high value on education! Nothing is more important and it shows in their children! When you travel in China, you're are honored for being a teacher! In the U.S. your are blamed because "Little Johnny" is more interested in rap and video games than an education! Asians don't think the teacher should provide the discipline and motivation for learning, that's considered the parents job! They place the greatest part of the responsibility to learn on the student and accept very few excuses such as boredom or the teacher doesn't like me! It explains why Asian kids rise to the top in public schools while the public schools are failing "Little Johnny"! When "Little Johnny" wants to get an education, it's there for him! The very worst high school in my school district had four Hispanic minority kids go right into M.I.T. How did they do it? Ask their parents! It's called values! (Obviously this is a generalization, but too often true in our society!) There are lots of good American born kids too! They just don't make the news as often! Denial ain't just a river in Egypt!

 

[Engimo]

It's not genetics, it's values! We have to use the cop out of genetics or it will show very, very clearly that something stinks in the charge that American schools are failing kids! They don't fail kids who want to learn! I taught Asian kids for 31 years! Middle and upper class Asian families place a extremely high value on education! Nothing is more important and it shows in their children! When you travel in China, you're are honored for being a teacher! In the U.S. your are blamed because "Little Johnny" is more interested in rap and video games than an education! Asians don't think the teacher should provide the discipline and motivation for learning, that's considered the parents job! They place the greatest part of the responsibility to learn on the student and accept very few excuses such as boredom or the teacher doesn't like me! It explains why Asian kids rise to the top in public schools while the public schools are failing "Little Johnny"! When "Little Johnny" wants to get an education, it's there for him! The very worst high school in my school district had four Hispanic minority kids go right into M.I.T. How did they do it? Ask their parents! It's called values! (Obviously this is a generalization, but too often true in our society!) There are lots of good American born kids too! They just don't make the news as often! Denial ain't just a river in Egypt!

Yes. At my previous school, at least, all of the asian kids that did well in school weren't really all that bright, they just had tremendously strong work ethics - they studied for hours upon end and did all of their work. This is not to say that there aren't smart asian people (there are just as many smart asians as smart anythings, I am sure), it's just that they have a tendency to work harder.

It's the same thing with Jewish kids - the Jewish culture places a strong emphasis on education and academic inquisitiveness. It shows in the fact that 22% of Nobel Prize winners have been Jewish, but Jews only account for .25% of the world population (and 2% of the U.S. population).

There is obviously no inherent genetic mental advantage between "races" (the idea of race is silly, anyways), there are just differences in the way that children are raised and the values that they tend to be instilled with.

 

[Kushinator]

I would think allot of the reason public school fails to live up to the sucsess of private school is the motivation.

You are forced to go to public school until you are 16 here in Indiana. That means even if you have no desire at all to learn anything and just want to sit there and vegatate, you can. Whats even more ridiculas is how these schools are funded.

A school is set out money by the state gov. Lets say for better understanding that a school is mapped out to possibily recieve $1,000,000. Whatever the percentage of registered students that show's up is how much of that money the school recieves. So if only 65% of the registered students show up, they only get $650,000.

Other things such as academic performance make the school eligable to recieve other grants put forth by charities. As well as sporting procedes. A football team brings in more money enternally to a school than any other source. A football program can single handidly pay for every other sports program and have allot more money left over for new equipment and tuition for students who dont live in a school boundry.

So why is a child who doesnt want to learn or even be in school made to be there? Having been a student i can tell you first hand that this truly disrupts other students from learning. Reason be most of these unhappy students exibit behavior problems and teachers time is sometimes spent being a diciplinarian rather than a teacher. And let me tell you, some teachers should not be made to dicipline at a high rate because they cant handle it.

So why is private school better? Well for starters private school is not manditory it is looked to as a privilage. Parents who will pay up to $20,000 a year for a non college tuition will not only insist that their child is motivated to learn, but tend to be more interested in their childs academic career.

 

[JOHNYJ]

I live in an Urban part of New Jersey.We have a girls Catholic high school nearby.It doesn't have armed guards or metal detectors. It graduates almost 90% of its students.Most of whom are minorities and not Catholic. Its strongest form of punishment is expulsion to the public high school. Parents get second jobs, make sure they take an interest in their childs school work all to avoid their child going to the public high school.
On the other side of my town is an afluent area with a public hgh school that has metal detectors,armed guards, and even local police patroling the school grounds.They graduate about 80% of their students.
In the Catholic school the teachers dress like professionals and there are uniforms on the students.In the public hgh school you can't tell the students and teachers apart.

 

[JOHNYJ]

not necessarily.

Here in my county( Rockdale county) the public magnet schools average SAT scores are almost always over 1300 for the graduates and outperforms all the private schools in placement in prestigious universities for the sciences. (MIT, Caltech, Harvard, etc.) ( every year they have a Westinghouse winner or international sceince winner etc.) I do think public schools have better access to good science labs over the private schools who provide better liberal arts studies. My younger brother did four years of high school in a New York public school. His physics teacher designed the antennae on voyager, his chemistry teacher was an ex Cornell Medical school professor and his spanish teacher came from Spain. He went on to Princeton and graduated valedictorian. At least 50 or more of his graduating class of 247 went on to ivey league schools and the average SAT was 1280. It was a good mixture of blacks, jews, latins and whites so it wasn't some exclusive "white" upper class neighborhood. The school where he went had a teacher's union and the Magnet schools here in Rockdale county are also unionized so I am not sure if that is a causative variable. (I am generally anti union.) I'm not sure what made it such a good public system there and here, (especially when the surrounding counties in Georgia suck.)

By the way found a article that says public schools are better

http://educhange.blogspot.com/2005/06/public-schools-perform-better-than.html

quote from the study provided by the link:



SES is socioeconomic status

I think we also have to remember that it is mostly middle to upper middle class children who go to private schools.

Please,in urban areas the majority of private schoools are parochial schools.Run by the Catholic church.They are not mostly white,hell there not even mostly Catholic.I always like to hear liberals trying to explain why the neighborhood parochial school is better than the local public school. They try to make it seem like the parochial school is busing white kids into it.Which of course is absolute nonesense.
It is amazing though, parochial schools with Nuns and without. Are still are better than public schools and all their money.

 

[Axismaster]

Pariochal schools and private schools are simply better because of less government interference and more specialized and individualized education. How do we make sure all people can get education and raise the standards to private school standards? The answer is not bogus plans like No Child Left Behind of the conservatives or these stupid "programs" of the liberals, the answer is vouchers for all and more private schools with less government intervention.

 

[Mr. D]

Yes. At my previous school, at least, all of the asian kids that did well in school weren't really all that bright, they just had tremendously strong work ethics - they studied for hours upon end and did all of their work. This is not to say that there aren't smart asian people (there are just as many smart asians as smart anythings, I am sure), it's just that they have a tendency to work harder.

It's the same thing with Jewish kids - the Jewish culture places a strong emphasis on education and academic inquisitiveness. It shows in the fact that 22% of Nobel Prize winners have been Jewish, but Jews only account for .25% of the world population (and 2% of the U.S. population).

There is obviously no inherent genetic mental advantage between "races" (the idea of race is silly, anyways), there are just differences in the way that children are raised and the values that they tend to be instilled with.

Well we sure agree on this one! You've got it right! Now, I wish our country would understand it and stop avoiding the obvious truth! I guess it's just easier to blame public schools than look at our own values!

 

[Axismaster]

Well we sure agree on this one! You've got it right! Now, I wish our country would understand it and stop avoiding the obvious truth! I guess it's just easier to blame public schools than look at our own values!

Well, you know, there are more important things in life than mathematics, science, and crap like that. Somebody can be a successful capitalist without education, as far as I am concerned. This idea that public education is important is bunk, what is important is self-exploration. Public education is only a socialist method at holding back the creative minds just like the establishment held back the creative John Galt in Ayn Rand's masterpiece, Atlas Shrugged.

 

[Engimo]

Well, you know, there are more important things in life than mathematics, science, and crap like that.

I would disagree. Mathematics provides a way for us to describe our universe quantitatively - without math (which leads directly to physics), we would have no civilization at all (calendars are essential to even an agrarian society). Science, as well, is the way that we understand and describe qualitatively (or quantitatively in physics) the world in which we live - what could be more important than understanding that?

 

[Axismaster]

I would disagree. Mathematics provides a way for us to describe our universe quantitatively - without math (which leads directly to physics), we would have no civilization at all (calendars are essential to even an agrarian society). Science, as well, is the way that we understand and describe qualitatively (or quantitatively in physics) the world in which we live - what could be more important than understanding that?

I should reword myself, others like math and they should be able to focus on their passions. I myself have no real joy in math, so I don't think I should be forced into something I don't give a damn about.

 

[Engimo]

I should reword myself, others like math and they should be able to focus on their passions. I myself have no real joy in math, so I don't think I should be forced into something I don't give a damn about.

Perhaps, but I feel that at least basic knowledge of the sciences (and empirical thought) is essential for our citizenship.

 

[Mr. D]

Well, you know, there are more important things in life than mathematics, science, and crap like that. Somebody can be a successful capitalist without education, as far as I am concerned. This idea that public education is important is bunk, what is important is self-exploration. Public education is only a socialist method at holding back the creative minds just like the establishment held back the creative John Galt in Ayn Rand's masterpiece, Atlas Shrugged.

We need a balance between humanistic values directed at happiness and science and math unless you will be happy seeing this country become a 3rd rate hovel! China is going to pass us like we have a flat tire if we don't change our anti education/the country owes me a new car attitude! You may be witnessing the Pax Americana! The sunseting of the American dream! Most Americans don't understand the science that has been around for 100 years! They live in the Middle Ages! Ask the next person you meet to explain how a refrigerator makes things cold, or how I got male pattern baldness! You'll get a good laugh! :2wave:

 

[Engimo]

We need a balance between humanistic values directed at happiness and science and math unless you will be happy seeing this country become a 3rd rate hovel! China is going to pass us like we have a flat tire if we don't change our anti education/the country owes me a new car attitude! You may be witnessing the Pax Americana! The sunseting of the American dream! Most Americans don't understand the science that has been around for 100 years! They live in the Middle Ages! Ask the next person you meet to explain how a refrigerator makes things cold, or how I got male pattern baldness! You'll get a good laugh! :2wave:

Mmm, I can explain the refrigerator thing, but that's probably because I'm a physics student. You raise a good point - ask people how even things that they use on a regular basis work. How many people know how a candle works, or the basic principles behind a television? What is more scary to me than the lack of knowledge about everyday things is the fact that people simply don't care about accruing information and understanding.

We need to be teaching better science and critical thinking, or we may soon be left behind by countries like China that have been funneling billions of dollars into their educational systems just to beat us out.

 

[Axismaster]

Mmm, I can explain the refrigerator thing, but that's probably because I'm a physics student. You raise a good point - ask people how even things that they use on a regular basis work. How many people know how a candle works, or the basic principles behind a television? What is more scary to me than the lack of knowledge about everyday things is the fact that people simply don't care about accruing information and understanding.

We need to be teaching better science and critical thinking, or we may soon be left behind by countries like China that have been funneling billions of dollars into their educational systems just to beat us out.

Well, I know we need to advance science, math, and everything equally, I just don't see why everyone should be forced to learn it beyond the most basic points. I am for academic freedom, meaning that I think all students even in middle and high school should be able to determine more of a course than being kept up in the creative restrictions that normal education places us in. Being well rounded is important in the sense of lip service, but really doesn't matter in society.

 

[Engimo]

Well, I know we need to advance science, math, and everything equally, I just don't see why everyone should be forced to learn it beyond the most basic points. I am for academic freedom, meaning that I think all students even in middle and high school should be able to determine more of a course than being kept up in the creative restrictions that normal education places us in. Being well rounded is important in the sense of lip service, but really doesn't matter in society.

I still disagree. Being well-rounded, especially in the area of science, is essential. The scientific method and empirical thought are the foundations for critical reasoning and an ability to function rationally in society.

 

[Axismaster]

I still disagree. Being well-rounded, especially in the area of science, is essential. The scientific method and empirical thought are the foundations for critical reasoning and an ability to function rationally in society.

Well, maybe to an extent. What I am talking about more is the things you don't need. For instance, at my school they make you take health and gym. I don't think this is right because I think you should be able to decide if you are going to be healthy or not. Another thing is math, why should you have to take math beyond the basics? Few people use things beyond basics. History, now that is something I think can be valued, as learning from history works us to solutions in the future.

 

[Engimo]

Well, maybe to an extent. What I am talking about more is the things you don't need. For instance, at my school they make you take health and gym. I don't think this is right because I think you should be able to decide if you are going to be healthy or not. Another thing is math, why should you have to take math beyond the basics? Few people use things beyond basics. History, now that is something I think can be valued, as learning from history works us to solutions in the future.

Math should be learned strictly from a pragmatic standpoint. You need algebra at the least to function well in our society, and calculus is needed for studying (even simple) physics.