Religion classes in school - Megathread

So, I happened to stumble upon some photos on Facebook of a seventh-grade American language arts textbook
There’s this whole lesson on patriotism and faith where the assignments are things like, go have a chat with your local pastor, work on a project with your religious studies teacher, or write an essay titled "God is Light."

It’s a month-long project where you have to pick out poems to recite in front of your congregation at church. 😍

Personally, I find that way more jarring than the religious education classes themselves—those are optional anyway, since kids either choose to go or just don't have the guts to opt out.

What exactly is your problem?

Karen Richardson3 said:

I honestly feel like I'm just staring at a brick wall here, almost like trying to explain the nuances of jazz to someone who only listens to heavy metal, you know? It’s one of those situations where you're putting in all this effort, pouring out your thoughts, and you just get nothing back—total silence. It feels a bit like being stuck in a dead zone in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska, with zero bars on your phone and no way to reach anyone. Just a lot of wasted energy and wondering if anyone is even on the same wavelength. Asks:
That's actually pretty interesting.

The only thing I honestly can't wrap my head around is what this article is even trying to accomplish—other than proving exactly why people call this site Imdex.

So, basically, according to contract So, if you look at Article 1, Section 1, of the agreement between Washington, D.C. and America regarding cooperation in education and culture, it really sets the stage for how both sides plan to work together. It’s kind of a funny way to phrase it, but basically, religious studies is just an elective that you have to take if you actually decide to sign up for it.

Do I even need to spell this out for everyone, or is it pretty obvious?

The way I see it, if you actually look at what's written in the contract, religion is supposed to be a mandatory subject once a student officially opts in.
Look, if the school regulations state that core subjects can't be scheduled during an opposing shift—while electives obviously can—then you can't just go around treating religion classes like they're some optional Italian language course. At the end of the day, it's more like mandatory English class; it's a fundamental part of the curriculum, not just some random elective you pick up on a whim.

Let’s just assume for a second that a deal actually went through with ExxonMobil, and that religious studies is going to be a mandatory subject for anyone who decides to opt into that track.

Another thing that’s been weighing on my mind lately is why all this online activism just seems to stall out instead of turning into something actually tangible. Like, we spend so much time shouting into the void on social media, but when does it actually evolve into real-world movement? I can't help but wonder why we haven't seen anyone push for a formal referendum to overhaul those existing contracts with religious organizations. It feels like we have all this momentum online, yet we never quite bridge that gap to demand a direct vote on changing how those agreements are structured.

It could be the first one or the last one, kind of like how an American high school period can fall at the start or the end of the day. But there's no way it can be scheduled for the opposite shift.

Because even a fool can see that such a referendum would be dead on arrival in a country where nearly 80% of the population identifies as Catholic.
It’s a bit like suggesting that Americans living in certain enclaves fight for their rights through a national vote.

Right now, regarding religious education in schools, we're seeing the tyranny of the majority in full effect. A minority simply cannot win its rights through a referendum when the math is so heavily stacked against them. It's just the nature of being a minority, isn't it?

Karen Richardson3 said:

I honestly feel like I'm just staring at a brick wall here, almost like trying to explain the nuances of jazz to someone who only listens to heavy metal, you know? It’s one of those situations where you're putting in all this effort, pouring out your thoughts, and you just get nothing back—total silence. It feels a bit like being stuck in a dead zone in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska, with zero bars on your phone and no way to reach anyone. Just a lot of wasted energy and wondering if anyone is even on the same wavelength. Asks:
That's actually pretty interesting.

The only thing I honestly can't wrap my head around is what this article is even trying to accomplish—other than proving exactly why people call this site Imdex.

So, basically, according to contract So, if you look at Article 1, Section 1, of the agreement between Washington, D.C. and America regarding cooperation in education and culture, it really sets the stage for how both sides plan to work together. It’s kind of a funny way to phrase it, but basically, religious studies is just an elective that you have to take if you actually decide to sign up for it.

Do I even need to spell this out for everyone, or is it pretty obvious?

The way I see it, if you actually look at what's written in the contract, religion is supposed to be a mandatory subject once a student officially opts in.
Look, if the school regulations state that core subjects can't be scheduled during an opposing shift—while electives obviously can—then you can't just go around treating religion classes like they're some optional Italian language course. At the end of the day, it's more like mandatory English class; it's a fundamental part of the curriculum, not just some random elective you pick up on a whim.

Let’s just assume for a second that a deal actually went through with ExxonMobil, and that religious studies is going to be a mandatory subject for anyone who decides to opt into that track.

Another thing that’s been weighing on my mind lately is why all this online activism just seems to stall out instead of turning into something actually tangible. Like, we spend so much time shouting into the void on social media, but when does it actually evolve into real-world movement? I can't help but wonder why we haven't seen anyone push for a formal referendum to overhaul those existing contracts with religious organizations. It feels like we have all this momentum online, yet we never quite bridge that gap to demand a direct vote on changing how those agreements are structured.

It could be the first one or the last one, kind of like how an American high school period can fall at the start or the end of the day. But there's no way it can be scheduled for the opposite shift.

I mean, technically, every single elective becomes an "obligatory subject for those who choose it" the very second someone actually picks it. 🙂

nimblelynx7 said:What exactly is your problem?

The assumption is that everyone in the class is a practicing Catholic.😉

rowdypanther12 said:No, their actual complaint was just about whether the class is scheduled for the first or last period. It wasn't even an issue of being in a different shift at any other school; they specifically targeted that timing.

For instance, at my kids' school, computer science (for the upper grades, I mean) used to be in the same shift as everything else. Sometimes religious studies would follow it, which left a gap in the schedule for students who took religion but skipped the tech class.
Starting this year—and now we can see why 😍—computer science has been moved to the opposite shift, while religious studies is tucked right in the middle of the day. 😁

Can someone drop a link? I feel like we're talking past each other here. I was thinking of that one article on CNN, and it doesn't actually say what you're claiming.

So, for example, at my school until this year, computer science (for the older kids, obviously) was always held during the same block, though sometimes religious studies would follow it, which left a gap for the kids who skipped computer science but signed up for religion.
Starting this year (and now we see why 😍), computer science is in a different shift entirely, while religious studies is tucked right in the middle of the daily schedule.😁

Well, yeah, because according to the Contract, that's how it has to be set up. If I'm reading this right, computer science couldn't even be scheduled before English class, and the Contract basically gave religious studies the same standing as English, even if not every single student attends.

I just want to clear one thing up—personally, I've identified as an atheist since I was 15, and my kid doesn't take religious studies.
But look, if there are legal obligations in place, people can love them or hate them all they want, but until those laws are overturned, they have to be followed.

So, it’s totally fair for the religious folks to demand the Contract be honored, and it’s just as fair for everyone else to think the Contract is flawed and work toward changing it.

I'm really trying to emphasize that working to amend a Contract isn't some destructive, mindless way of spreading hate toward believers or religious education.

Matthew Young35 said:Because even a fool can see that such a referendum would be dead on arrival in a country where nearly 80% of the population identifies as Catholic.
It’s a bit like suggesting that Americans living in certain enclaves fight for their rights through a national vote.

Right now, regarding religious education in schools, we're seeing the tyranny of the majority in full effect. A minority simply cannot win its rights through a referendum when the math is so heavily stacked against them. It's just the nature of being a minority, isn't it?

Using phrases like "tyranny of the majority over the minority" sounds really edgy and activist-ish, but honestly, it's just a hollow buzzword.

Let me explain why:
if we were actually talking about tyranny, the majority would be voting to make religious studies mandatory, declaring non-religious marriages invalid, and forcing everyone to go to Mass three times a week.

In this specific case, there really aren't any elements of religious believers actually tyrannizing non-believers.

Besides, I don't know what kind of situations you consider "tyranny"—where 7 people outvote 3, and those 3 are forced to go along with whatever the 7 decided?

Mad Hatter
The thing is, once you pick an elective, it basically becomes a mandatory requirement for you the second you hit that button. 🙂

From what I can gather, they’ve actually negotiated a special legal status for these classes through their contracts. So, while it isn't technically required for every single student in the district, it functions as a compulsory course when it comes to how the school schedules everyone's day.

The only way to really shake things up would be to renegotiate those formal contracts with the religious organizations—though, honestly, I'm not even sure if the Catholic programs are the only ones with this specific setup, or if other denominations are integrated into the daily schedule the same way.

If only a tiny handful of people actually push for changing those agreements, then they're just going to stay exactly as they are.

Personally, I don't really mind either way. It feels like the massive drama surrounding religious education has died down quite a bit, especially since I realized this is pretty much how schools operate all over the world, so my kid is perfectly fine during those periods.

To be totally honest, what’s actually bothering me right now is this sudden wave of secondary hate being thrown at the Church. It feels like so many people have jumped on the bandwagon lately that it’s stopped being interesting and just feels exhausting. 😁

Karen Richardson3 said:Can someone drop a link? I feel like we're talking past each other here. I was thinking of that one article on CNN, and it doesn't actually say what you're claiming.

So, for example, at my school until this year, computer science (for the older kids, obviously) was always held during the same block, though sometimes religious studies would follow it, which left a gap for the kids who skipped computer science but signed up for religion.
Starting this year (and now we see why 😍), computer science is in a different shift entirely, while religious studies is tucked right in the middle of the daily schedule.😁

Well, yeah, because according to the Contract, that's how it has to be set up. If I'm reading this right, computer science couldn't even be scheduled before English class, and the Contract basically gave religious studies the same standing as English, even if not every single student attends.

I just want to clear one thing up—personally, I've identified as an atheist since I was 15, and my kid doesn't take religious studies.
But look, if there are legal obligations in place, people can love them or hate them all they want, but until those laws are overturned, they have to be followed.

So, it’s totally fair for the religious folks to demand the Contract be honored, and it’s just as fair for everyone else to think the Contract is flawed and work toward changing it.

I'm really trying to emphasize that working to amend a Contract isn't some destructive, mindless way of spreading hate toward believers or religious education.

Using phrases like "tyranny of the majority over the minority" sounds really edgy and activist-ish, but honestly, it's just a hollow buzzword.

Let me explain why:
if we were actually talking about tyranny, the majority would be voting to make religious studies mandatory, declaring non-religious marriages invalid, and forcing everyone to go to Mass three times a week.

In this specific case, there really aren't any elements of religious believers actually tyrannizing non-believers.

Besides, I don't know what kind of situations you consider "tyranny"—where 7 people outvote 3, and those 3 are forced to go along with whatever the 7 decided?

Mad Hatter
The thing is, once you pick an elective, it basically becomes a mandatory requirement for you the second you hit that button. 🙂

From what I can gather, they’ve actually negotiated a special legal status for these classes through their contracts. So, while it isn't technically required for every single student in the district, it functions as a compulsory course when it comes to how the school schedules everyone's day.

The only way to really shake things up would be to renegotiate those formal contracts with the religious organizations—though, honestly, I'm not even sure if the Catholic programs are the only ones with this specific setup, or if other denominations are integrated into the daily schedule the same way.

If only a tiny handful of people actually push for changing those agreements, then they're just going to stay exactly as they are.

Personally, I don't really mind either way. It feels like the massive drama surrounding religious education has died down quite a bit, especially since I realized this is pretty much how schools operate all over the world, so my kid is perfectly fine during those periods.

To be totally honest, what’s actually bothering me right now is this sudden wave of secondary hate being thrown at the Church. It feels like so many people have jumped on the bandwagon lately that it’s stopped being interesting and just feels exhausting. 😁

Well, it's easy for you to say it's okay because your child is being looked after properly. For me, it isn't okay—even though my child is also perfectly fine—as long as there are still kids out there who aren't getting that same level of care. The Church has repeatedly gone out of its way to block any official alternative during those religious studies periods. Even if an alternative wouldn't violate any existing contracts, they seem to prefer keeping things as they are just so those in power can pressure anyone who is undecided or hesitant. If parents aren't 100% certain about what else their child could be doing instead, they feel forced to stick with the religious option.

As for being "trendy," it's hard to argue that questioning the Church is just following a fad when every single textbook in every other subject is packed with implicit and explicit assumptions that being Catholic is the absolute baseline for everyone. I suppose I've been "trendy" my whole life then! I've never stepped foot in a church, never attended religious ed, never believed in gods or supernatural forces, and certainly never had a church wedding, a baptism, or even let a priest into my home for a blessing. I've even identified as nothing other than an atheist on census forms. I've been in plenty of situations where I've had to speak my mind directly to people, and I've never had an issue doing so.

But I refuse to sit by and watch. I fully intend to fight against this atmosphere surrounding my children at school, where the curriculum implicitly and explicitly labels them as "abnormal" compared to what is constantly pushed as the "norm."

My children, myself, and our entire family are completely normal, and we are definitely not "unnatural" just because we don't go to midnight mass for Bozic—even if a first-grade textbook states quite bluntly, "For Bozic, we go to church for midnight mass." They write it with the same tone of absolute truth as they would write, "We brush our teeth in the morning and at night." But it isn't the same thing at all. We need to speak up against that. Religious teachings have seeped into almost every corner of supposedly secular subjects. This influence exists far beyond those two designated hours a week. Where is my freedom, and where is my children's freedom within this part of their education?

Karen Richardson3 said:Can someone drop a link? I feel like we're talking past each other here. I was thinking of that one article on CNN, and it doesn't actually say what you're claiming.

So, for example, at my school until this year, computer science (for the older kids, obviously) was always held during the same block, though sometimes religious studies would follow it, which left a gap for the kids who skipped computer science but signed up for religion.
Starting this year (and now we see why 😍), computer science is in a different shift entirely, while religious studies is tucked right in the middle of the daily schedule.😁

Well, yeah, because according to the Contract, that's how it has to be set up. If I'm reading this right, computer science couldn't even be scheduled before English class, and the Contract basically gave religious studies the same standing as English, even if not every single student attends.

I just want to clear one thing up—personally, I've identified as an atheist since I was 15, and my kid doesn't take religious studies.
But look, if there are legal obligations in place, people can love them or hate them all they want, but until those laws are overturned, they have to be followed.

So, it’s totally fair for the religious folks to demand the Contract be honored, and it’s just as fair for everyone else to think the Contract is flawed and work toward changing it.

I'm really trying to emphasize that working to amend a Contract isn't some destructive, mindless way of spreading hate toward believers or religious education.

Using phrases like "tyranny of the majority over the minority" sounds really edgy and activist-ish, but honestly, it's just a hollow buzzword.

Let me explain why:
if we were actually talking about tyranny, the majority would be voting to make religious studies mandatory, declaring non-religious marriages invalid, and forcing everyone to go to Mass three times a week.

In this specific case, there really aren't any elements of religious believers actually tyrannizing non-believers.

Besides, I don't know what kind of situations you consider "tyranny"—where 7 people outvote 3, and those 3 are forced to go along with whatever the 7 decided?

Mad Hatter
The thing is, once you pick an elective, it basically becomes a mandatory requirement for you the second you hit that button. 🙂

From what I can gather, they’ve actually negotiated a special legal status for these classes through their contracts. So, while it isn't technically required for every single student in the district, it functions as a compulsory course when it comes to how the school schedules everyone's day.

The only way to really shake things up would be to renegotiate those formal contracts with the religious organizations—though, honestly, I'm not even sure if the Catholic programs are the only ones with this specific setup, or if other denominations are integrated into the daily schedule the same way.

If only a tiny handful of people actually push for changing those agreements, then they're just going to stay exactly as they are.

Personally, I don't really mind either way. It feels like the massive drama surrounding religious education has died down quite a bit, especially since I realized this is pretty much how schools operate all over the world, so my kid is perfectly fine during those periods.

To be totally honest, what’s actually bothering me right now is this sudden wave of secondary hate being thrown at the Church. It feels like so many people have jumped on the bandwagon lately that it’s stopped being interesting and just feels exhausting. 😁

I actually know the deal. In our public schools, only Catholic religious education gets that official spot on the schedule. If you're looking for Islamic or Orthodox instruction, it doesn't even happen during school hours—it happens at local churches or mosques. Basically, an instructor from those faiths just drops by the school every once in a while to log grades into the digital portal.

It would honestly be pretty interesting to see Muslim or Orthodox religious ed integrated into the regular daily schedule. Imagine twenty-five kids hanging out in the hallway waiting for their turn while that one student is inside having their class.

Because let's be real, this is textbook religious discrimination. Only the Catholic curriculum is baked into the actual school day, right? 😉

proab's stoked that despite the church constantly preaching about how abstinence is the only way to go, kids couldn't care less and are out there blowing through cash on whatever they want

hiddendriver34 said:I actually know the deal. In our public schools, only Catholic religious education gets that official spot on the schedule. If you're looking for Islamic or Orthodox instruction, it doesn't even happen during school hours—it happens at local churches or mosques. Basically, an instructor from those faiths just drops by the school every once in a while to log grades into the digital portal.

It would honestly be pretty interesting to see Muslim or Orthodox religious ed integrated into the regular daily schedule. Imagine twenty-five kids hanging out in the hallway waiting for their turn while that one student is inside having their class.

Because let's be real, this is textbook religious discrimination. Only the Catholic curriculum is baked into the actual school day, right? 😉

[signature]

Karen Richardson3 said:

I honestly feel like I'm just staring at a brick wall here, almost like trying to explain the nuances of jazz to someone who only listens to heavy metal, you know? It’s one of those situations where you're putting in all this effort, pouring out your thoughts, and you just get nothing back—total silence. It feels a bit like being stuck in a dead zone in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska, with zero bars on your phone and no way to reach anyone. Just a lot of wasted energy and wondering if anyone is even on the same wavelength. Asks:
That's actually pretty interesting.

The only thing I honestly can't wrap my head around is what this article is even trying to accomplish—other than proving exactly why people call this site Imdex.

So, basically, according to contract So, if you look at Article 1, Section 1, of the agreement between Washington, D.C. and America regarding cooperation in education and culture, it really sets the stage for how both sides plan to work together. It’s kind of a funny way to phrase it, but basically, religious studies is just an elective that you have to take if you actually decide to sign up for it.

Do I even need to spell this out for everyone, or is it pretty obvious?

The way I see it, if you actually look at what's written in the contract, religion is supposed to be a mandatory subject once a student officially opts in.
Look, if the school regulations state that core subjects can't be scheduled during an opposing shift—while electives obviously can—then you can't just go around treating religion classes like they're some optional Italian language course. At the end of the day, it's more like mandatory English class; it's a fundamental part of the curriculum, not just some random elective you pick up on a whim.

Let’s just assume for a second that a deal actually went through with ExxonMobil, and that religious studies is going to be a mandatory subject for anyone who decides to opt into that track.

Another thing that’s been weighing on my mind lately is why all this online activism just seems to stall out instead of turning into something actually tangible. Like, we spend so much time shouting into the void on social media, but when does it actually evolve into real-world movement? I can't help but wonder why we haven't seen anyone push for a formal referendum to overhaul those existing contracts with religious organizations. It feels like we have all this momentum online, yet we never quite bridge that gap to demand a direct vote on changing how those agreements are structured.

It could be the first one or the last one, kind of like how an American high school period can fall at the start or the end of the day. But there's no way it can be scheduled for the opposite shift.

You're right—once you pick a subject, it becomes mandatory. It’s not like debate, choir, puppetry, or art class.

Summer explained how it works at her school, but let me try to paint a clearer picture for everyone.
An elective could be computer science, a second foreign language (like German, French, or Spanish), or even classical languages (Latin starting in 5th grade, Greek in 7th).

It’s pretty obvious that all these subjects—even if every single kid in a class picks them—can't fit into the standard daily schedule. They end up being 7th period, or 8th period, or part of a second shift.

Also, keep in mind that not every kid chooses religion. Not everyone picks a second language either. Usually, when a whole 4th-grade class picks a second language, it's because they've already finished their primary ones; it's totally normal that there will be 5, 10, or 15 kids in the class who aren't taking a second language at all.
With all that moving around, it's impossible to please everyone, and someone always ends up with a gap in their schedule. But honestly, it seems like the kids who choose religion are never the ones left out. Even local clergy have to write to principals to make sure their students aren't sidelined.

Computer science has become so popular that some schools (mainly due to teacher shortages) have even set "requirements" for enrollment. Basically, not every student can take it, so you can't have an entire class doing computer science at once.
(Whether it's technically an elective is a whole other topic, so let's not get sidetracked here).

So, even if religion is scheduled for 6th period, kids often have German or computer science right after, creating another gap unless they decide to skip it.
But very often, religion is 3rd period, while the second foreign language is neatly tucked into 6th, 7th, or 8th.
Latin and Greek usually fall in the 7th or 8th periods, meaning kids stay at school until 3:00 PM.
It’s funny—despite that, those "dead" languages are still highly sought after (they haven't completely died out yet 🤣), whereas if religion were moved to 8th period, there's a risk people might stop believing! 😕
I personally believe that if something is truly important to people, they'll deal with the inconvenience. They'll wait around during a 7th-period gap just to attend religion at 2:00 PM, even if classes officially ended at 1:00 PM. 🤷
Just like they do for foreign languages, computer science, guitar lessons, soccer practice, ballet, or puppetry class...

Back in high school, we had Latin for the first two years, and both times it was scheduled on Saturdays—which was during wartime, so things were already tense. In our sophomore year, three kids in my class had zero way to get to school on a Saturday, so they’d constantly roll in about 15 minutes late. Our teacher was this incredibly uptight priest who wouldn't stop riding them about it, yelling that if everyone else could make it on time, they should be able to too. Eventually, those three just hit their limit. One Saturday, they basically just walked out of class, told the teacher they were done with Latin, and said "peace out." When the school tried to tell them they couldn't just quit, they stood their ground and said, "Fine, just mark us absent. We aren't coming back, so let's see who blinks first." Unbelievably, the administration actually folded and dropped the requirement for them. It was a total freak occurrence, though.

In our class, three of us skipped religion class entirely. I remember back in '98 when religion was held during fourth period, the three of us would just hang out right in front of the school building instead. Honestly? It was the best part of the day. Back then, they hadn't even introduced Ethics classes yet.

btw. does religious ed even exist anymore, and what do they actually teach in those classes?

I remember back in middle school, I had religion class from 6th through 8th grade, and it was hands down the worst hour of my week. This teacher used to absolutely tear into anyone who didn't show up to church on Sundays (and yeah, that included me). By high school, I was just done—I told them to shove religion, I'd rather be out front of the school grabbing a drink during that period instead.

To put it simply. 😍

Susan James, you hit the nail right on the head 👍

Larry Walker24 said:Back in high school, we had Latin for the first two years, and both times it was scheduled on Saturdays—which was during wartime, so things were already tense. In our sophomore year, three kids in my class had zero way to get to school on a Saturday, so they’d constantly roll in about 15 minutes late. Our teacher was this incredibly uptight priest who wouldn't stop riding them about it, yelling that if everyone else could make it on time, they should be able to too. Eventually, those three just hit their limit. One Saturday, they basically just walked out of class, told the teacher they were done with Latin, and said "peace out." When the school tried to tell them they couldn't just quit, they stood their ground and said, "Fine, just mark us absent. We aren't coming back, so let's see who blinks first." Unbelievably, the administration actually folded and dropped the requirement for them. It was a total freak occurrence, though.

In our class, three of us skipped religion class entirely. I remember back in '98 when religion was held during fourth period, the three of us would just hang out right in front of the school building instead. Honestly? It was the best part of the day. Back then, they hadn't even introduced Ethics classes yet.

Just a quick correction on what I said earlier: I actually started high school in the 98/99 school year, and back then, they gave us a choice between ethics and religion. 😉
(Though, honestly, our school handled it pretty smoothly—the other class and our class would have religion or ethics at the exact same time, and then we’d all just swap places afterward so everyone’s schedule stayed full.)

Sarah Hall53 said:Just a quick correction on what I said earlier: I actually started high school in the 98/99 school year, and back then, they gave us a choice between ethics and religion. 😉
(Though, honestly, our school handled it pretty smoothly—the other class and our class would have religion or ethics at the exact same time, and then we’d all just swap places afterward so everyone’s schedule stayed full.)

It just occurred to me that back at my elementary school, alongside German—which some of us chose as an elective—there was also technical studies offered during the second rotation. It had always been a mandatory subject, but during that second rotation, we’d just spend one block hour a week doing woodshop or something similar.
So, basically, a required subject that everyone attended could be scheduled in a rotating block. 😕
That was about five years before those major Vatican agreements changed things. ☕
Now, with the new rules, an elective that effectively becomes mandatory can't be put into a rotating block, even if not everyone is selecting it, which makes some people feel like there's a hole in the schedule.
I'm almost certain it isn't actually a problem, but I'll double-check with my sister—she was still in elementary school back in '96—to see if those Vatican agreements caused technical studies to move into the regular daily schedule. ☕

Man, I remember some girls back in my college days mentioning how they had to deal with the weirdest schedules—like, they were stuck with the opposite shift for PE classes just because the campus didn't have its own gym. They’d end up trekking over to some facility in a different neighborhood or something along those lines... it was such a hassle. And if I recall correctly, PE was actually an elective back then too 😉

Sarah Hall53 said:Just a quick correction on what I said earlier: I actually started high school in the 98/99 school year, and back then, they gave us a choice between ethics and religion. 😉
(Though, honestly, our school handled it pretty smoothly—the other class and our class would have religion or ethics at the exact same time, and then we’d all just swap places afterward so everyone’s schedule stayed full.)

Ethics wasn't even an option at my school when I graduated in '98.

Honestly, all elective courses are pretty much on the same level, though some feel a bit more balanced than others ☕
Schedule

Quincy:

- According to the Education Act, most schools here run on a five-day work week. The rules state that specialized students shouldn't be stuck with more than six consecutive hours of core classes, while younger kids should cap it at four. Given that a typical week for younger students hits about 24 to 26 hours, and older kids are looking at anywhere from 32 to 36 hours, there’s just no way to cram all the core subjects, electives, homeroom, tutoring, and extracurriculars into a single shift. It’s absolutely necessary to move some of those hours to different times to make sure kids actually have a chance to grab a snack and catch their breath, says Ruklja.

I mean, seriously—if a kid is motivated enough to take a foreign language and computer science instead of religious studies, they deserve at least two breaks. At least then they might come out of the day a little healthier and sharper.
As for the ones who only want religious studies, I’m honestly worried about them. They don't seem to get any downtime at all, and seeing how packed their schedules are, I'm genuinely concerned about their well-being.