By Jack Leitch ’24
At St. Paul’s, there are two high schools: SP and SPSG. While these two schools share a campus, they are separate, and each offers a wide variety of courses. Over 100 total classes are available at the two high schools, with variety in curriculum and content. However, these may not be enough.
Of these many available classes, the majority are found at only one of the two schools, whether that be SP or SPSG. Other courses are available at both schools with little difference between them, giving the appearance that there are more classes available than there actually are. And some are semester courses at one school, but a full year at the other. Considering these disparities, there are not many elective classes available.
SP offers three English courses, with little variation in curriculum. This means that, while there are three courses, they are all relatively the same class, going back to my earlier point on the appearance of more classes. Meanwhile, SPSG offers nine courses under that same English umbrella; and none of these electives are available to SP students.
Science courses at both schools, despite being relatively balanced in terms of number of courses, offer very different classes. Forensics is only offered at SP, and although it is available to SPSG students, priority is given to SP students, despite it being an extremely popular class for students at both student schools. Students at SPSG often struggle to get into this class. SPSG offers many more classes under the physics category that students at SP cannot take. While some areas, such as history, are more balanced, there is an overall disparity in terms of available electives at the two high schools.
My survey of 120 students in both upper schools revealed that 71% do not take an elective course, other than an art or language. While in some cases this is likely due to lack of interest, in many cases it is due to the lack of availability. Only 21% said that they are even aware of the courses available to them at their grade level and school. A large issue at both schools is communicating which classes can be taken at each school and grade level. For example, though IB courses at SP are available to SPSG students, they are not listed on the official course selection sheet given out at SPSG.
Another issue is the number of available electives overall. Only 30% of students said that they are satisfied with the electives available to them. When asked about courses they would like to see, students suggested classes in fashion and clothing design, marine biology, sports history, and a more serious orchestra class (as opposed to only the current Jazz Band and music classes available).
Some students even mentioned the disparity in electives available at different grade levels, and how many electives, especially at SPSG, are options only for seniors. Electives are rarely offered to freshmen and sophomores, despite interest from both of those grade levels. Of the 68 underclassmen surveyed at both schools, only six responded that they have taken or are taking an elective course other than an art or language.
As an underclassman, I often wanted to take an elective, though very few were available to me. This is a common trend at those grade levels, especially for those not interested in music, art, or theater courses. Of the 51 juniors and seniors surveyed, 29 said they take an elective course (other than an art or language), and only seven said they are not happy with the courses available to them. This gaping difference between the younger and older students showcases how electives at both schools cater primarily to upperclassmen.
St. Paul’s should do much to offer more elective courses at both SP and SPSG. Curriculum planners should consult students for ideas and ways to improve. Students at both grade levels are passionate about electives and the classes available to them. Making more classes accessible, and having more variety with courses in general, would be a great benefit to the St. Paul’s community.
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