Let Teen-Agers Try Adulthood - Leon Botstein

“Let Teen-Agers try Adulthood” written by Leon Botstein that was published in The New York Times on May 17, 1999, is an article informing the audience all of the cons of high school and the way America’s school system is set up. In the article, Botstein explains his view on high school and how it does not prepare teens for the real world. He starts by stating that school shootings more specifically the Littleton shooting has showed the world that high school is obsolete and should be abolished. He then goes into detail about how what goes on in high school is not comparable to what goes on in the real world. But the rules of high school turn out not to be the rules of life. This quote shows that Botstein is not all for the high school cliques and drama. Botstein then speaks about the training for high school teachers and how it is not the best resulting in high schoolers not learning the life lessons that need to be learned. Botstein states too many opportunities have been lost and too much time been wasted this quote expresses the author's point of high school is obsolete and worthless to America’s future. The solution Botstein states in his article is to make children start elementary school at age 4 or 5 and end with sixth grade entirely band the concept of the middle school and junior high school beginning with the seventh grade there should be four years of secondary education that we may call high school. Resulting in people graduating at 16 rather than 18. Botstein feels as if this is