A Nation Should Require All of Its Students to Study the Same National Curriculum Until They Enter College.

A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.
The speaker would prefer a national curriculum for all children up until college instead of allowing schools in different regions the freedom to decide on their own curricula. I agree insofar as some common core curriculum would serve useful purposes for any nation. At the same time, however, individual provinces and communities should have some freedom to augment any such curriculum as they see fit; otherwise, a nation's educational system might defeat its own purposes in the long run.
A national core curriculum would be beneficial to a nation in a number of respects. First of all, by providing all children with fundamental skills and knowledge, a common core curriculum would help ensure that our children grow up to become reasonably informed, productive members of society. In addition, a common core curriculum would provide a predictable foundation upon which college administrators and faculty could build curricula and select course materials more easily for freshmen that are neither below nor above their level of educational experience. Finally, a core curriculum would ensure that all school-children are taught core values upon which any democratic society depends to thrive, and even survive -- values such as tolerance of others with different viewpoints, and respect for others.
However, a common curriculum or an exclusive one would pose certain problems, which might outweigh the benefits noted above. First of all, on what basis would certain course work be included or excluded, and who would be the final decision- maker? In all likelihood these decisions would be in the hands of government legislators and regulators, who are likely to have their own quirky notions of what should and should not be taught to children -- notions that may or may not reflect those of most communities, schools, or parents. Besides, government officials are notoriously...