Every student in high school knows the purpose of secondary education: to prepare students for college and other postsecondary pathways such as the military or manual labor jobs — in short, to prepare a student for their future. Many schools throughout Kansas have requirements given to them by the state as to what they must cover for postsecondary resources or preparedness, including required assessments, and advisory, which has only been implemented within the last year.

However most schools, such as Manhattan High, typically offer more than advisory period and tests in terms of postsecondary readiness. Yet, many students do not take these prime opportunities to ensure they are prepared for the next step in their schooling or career.

Advanced Placement classes, classes that offer college credits through Manhattan Area Technical College or Kansas State University, college prep classes, etc. all are not required by the state of Kansas, but given to students by the school’s own will. Many students are unaware of these important resources within the school, or simply do not care, and thus do not utilize them and receive full, vital knowledge of their many options. Instead, they end up graduating high school unprepared for their life ahead.

It is the agreement of The Mentor editorial board that, while students are given resources, the lack of communication and advertisement of these opportunities by administration has left students ignorant of the resources they should be using to ensure themselves a basic knowledge of the world they head into. Not only is there lack of communication between administration and students, but lack of the ability to depend on teachers to ensure a student is fully aware of their options and opportunities like of that in advisory.

MHS administration attempts to ensure student preparedness but ultimately, these classes or attempts failed to achieve the intended purpose; however administration is only in part to blame. Students themselves often do not take the necessary steps to ensure they get the knowledge they need, simply fail to take an interest in their education, or do not know the opportunities available to them to properly prepare for their future.

Students need to reach out and take opportunities, seek out their full education to secure their knowledge. Also teachers and administration need to be depended upon not only to simply relay the facts of the many resources MHS provides to the students, but also strengthen their communication within the MHS student body.

Every student deserves to receive and know about the many resources and opportunities MHS provides, to guarantee a future where they are properly and fully educated on all postsecondary options and basic knowledge of adult life.