The Reimplementation of Drivers Ed Classes into School Curriculums

Most students in high school start taking driving lessons when they hit the ages of 15 or 16 so that by the time they are juniors or seniors in high school, they can drive with their provisional driver’s license. I, unfortunately, was not one of those students. I started late, just two months before my 17th birthday. The classes I took were in person at Champions Driving School over the span of two weeks, making up most of my winter break that year. Realistically, I should already be done with the whole process of practice hours, but it is not the case. I’ve had many mischances and inconveniences that have hindered my progress. Although I will speak of those issues again, I do not plan to make them the sole purpose of my argument. If anything, in discussing my situation, I hope that you will realize the importance of reimplementing drivers ed classes into the school curriculum.

One of the biggest issues I encountered was the distance between me and the school. Being from an area that does not have the best service establishments, my parents received help from a trusted adult. She lived in Spring, a far different place compared to Aldine. She was able to procure us with my lessons at Champions Driving School. As you can see, that is a very far distance. If I were from a relatively normal family with nice income, then maybe it wouldn’t be such a hassle. But the reason I really needed to learn how to drive is because only one of my parents works; my mom is chronically ill. Even if I could learn to drive so that I could go to and from school (I stay after school almost every single day), it would definitely rid my father of a heavy load. With this driving school, though, I now must go with my coach to get my hours in. In reality, it is not a big deal, but as I mentioned, I am super involved with school activities and I also roller figure skate. I barely have enough time to do what I need to do and though I understand the importance of learning to prioritize some things over others and making sacrifices, in my situation – and in the situation of many – I just find that it would help us breathe easily if classes weren’t so far away.

Another issue I encountered with this place in particular is their method of signing up for classes. At this place I go to, we are required to complete seven drive hours with a teacher over the course of six months. Since I started taking the class during the pandemic, we received an extension on our hours. This still left me with the responsibility of picking my drive times wisely which would, again, not be an issue if it weren’t for my situation. This, however, was an issue that did not bother me as much. That is until I couldn’t pick the days that I wanted to pick. One key aspect of the class is that I cannot pick two driving classes that are less than 14 days apart. I’m sure this is enforced in order to give us a chance to practice at home as well as to give other students a chance to take lessons, but it makes it difficult for me to pick good practice days. Usually, I have my weekends free, but those are always in popular demand. Because of where I live and my parents, it is virtually impossible for me to do it during the week. Our friend who got me the lessons also has an office job, so it gets frustrating having to juggle not just my schedule but everyone else’s schedule to pick a good day.

I do not mean to dump a lot of my personal issues to you, but I find that such exposition is necessary to your understandment of my plea. I’ve heard that in the past when cars were first introduced, drivers ed classes were included at school. It makes sense that this happened because this was a new wonder and young people needed to know the dangers of driving. What doesn’t make sense is why the classes were removed. After doing some light research, I found that it was due to the high expense of classes. But shouldn’t safe driving be a priority for not just the school but also the government? Shouldn’t we worry about keeping our youth safe? Well, I’m getting a little ahead of myself, so let me go back to what I meant to discuss.

Given my complaints of distance and scheduling, I don’t see why drivers ed classes shouldn’t be offered at local high schools. They can just be labeled as regular classes that offer half credit per semester. They should definitely be required for at least one year and offer evening and weekend practice days. Do you have any idea how beneficial this would be for me? I could have just taken my in person classes at school and then completed all my practice hours at the same place (my school is only 10 minutes away). I would have finished my junior year and then I’d have my permit or maybe even my provisional driver’s license given the time span. I know that in this essay I am mostly speaking for myself, but I believe that so many other students would benefit from school provided drivers ed classes as would their parents. My parents would be so grateful to have some place nearby.

My sister has just turned 16 and she’ll be taking her lessons soon. Although I can’t hope that my school or her school will open up driving classes any time soon, we’ll be wiser about where we send her. In the meantime, though, I really hope someone is able to take my word and transform it into something that will help others. Either that or I’ll have it my way to make this the reality once more.