Of all the changes that state policy makers made to graduation requirements last year, the one more incoming freshmen will notice the most is the lack of two previously required courses: speech and world geography.

These will now become optional classes that students can sign-up for, but will not be required. We believe that removing these classes from the required list will only produce one thing: ignorance.

World Geography is a very important thing to learn. Why? Well, how would you learn world, United States, or Texas history without knowing where things are? Also take in the fact that many kids today don’t know any culture from anywhere except for from their own urban area. So taking world geography classes out of the learning process would be a major mistake and encourage kids to not get out there and explore even more.

Most students don’t like to get out of their comfort zone. So we shouldn’t encourage ignorance in students and make future generations to be ignorant about other people across the globe.

Speech is another class that forces students to get out of their shells while learning about how to reach an audience and persuade people to agree with their arguments.

Without a speech class the future will probably be very difficult in the sense that society will have difficulty communicating not only to the public but also to each other. Students already have difficulties speaking in front of others especially with cell phones, iPads, and other devices in the way.

Electronic devices are helpful for instant communication and social networking, but not in the sense of being able to communicate professionally with another human being face to face.

For some students, classes like speech and teen leadership are the first or only opportunities they have to learn how to speak in front of their peers, colleagues and professionals. To make up for the loss of the required speech class, English teachers will be expected to add speech skills to their lessons.  However, they will likely not be able to give speech practice much attention considering how much time is spent preparing for state English exams.

There is irony in the fact that the state Legislature is responsible for eliminating these courses as a requirement. It is strange that lawmakers approved this change considering that a large portion of their effectiveness relies on public speaking skills that many of them likely first honed in a high school speech class.

These classes were likely removed as a requirement to allow school districts flexibility as they adjust to changes in what courses have a required state test associated with them. Now that students are only tested in social studies during the year they take U.S. History, world geography is not deemed to be a priority.

At Akins, all incoming freshmen will begin taking a required reading course to help them prepare for the English end-of-course exam, which many students struggle to pass.

We believe that world geography and speech are worthy classes that should still be mandatory for students to take in high school. It is important that students learn more than what is on a state test.