The Nation: Downright Unreasonable

Some school boards are beginning to get downright unreasonable about requirements for a high school diploma. Just two months ago, the New York State Board of Regents agreed unanimously that the state’s high school pupils should pass a ninth-grade reading and mathematics examination in order to graduate (TIME, April 5).

That does not sound too exacting for twelfth-graders. But consider what is happening elsewhere. In Chicago, the city’s school superintendent has proposed that a broad examination in finance, health, government, law, transportation, communications and community resources be mandatory for all high school students before they can receive their diplomas. In Missouri, one member of the state board of education has suggested that it would be nice if students could read a newspaper, calculate simple interest on a loan and balance a checkbook. If standards like those were applied nationwide, more than a few high school graduates might have to turn in their diplomas.