National 5 subject choices - Scottish education

[DermotOLearyssuit]

Our daughter in S2 is starting to make her subject choices for her Nat 5 courses. English and maths are compulsory obviously, but other than those she has free rein to choose her remaining 5 (plus an additional 2 subjects which are then dropped at the end of S3).
We are advising her that, in order to keep her options open, she should take a minimum of 2 sciences and a language. She, however, wants to drop French and take only Biology from the sciences. To give some context - she doesn't know what she wants to do when she's older and she is perfectly bright and capable of doing what we are suggesting.
I know that she is feeling resentful at the prospect of us putting our foot down - she feels that she should ultimately be allowed to choose the subjects she wants - she says most parents would allow that. We feel that what we are suggesting will allow her to make her own choices when she has a clearer idea of the direction she wants to go in. The humanities subjects etc that she is more interested in, she can pick up in S5/6, whereas it would be more difficult to pick up a science in S5 and very difficult to pick a language back up (and I wish it were compulsory to take one!). But should we put our foot down?

[19lottie82]

No. Let her do what she wants. If she's not into science now, then she prob won't be in later life. She doesn't need to do two science subjects to "keep her options open".

[19lottie82]

Advise but don't force.

[DermotOLearyssuit]

Any thoughts on having zero foreign language skills?

[Nospringflower]

At our school they have to take one English, Maths, a language, and then they select form columns which mean they have to take History, Geography or Modern Studies. None of my children are good at languages and one really struggles. I don't see the point in making them take things they arent good at.

For your daughter though I can see the benefits of having a wide range but ultimately she will do best in the subjects she enjoys. So yes, advise but let her choose at the end of the day.

[gleegeek]

I think she probably needs to choose tbh. I was pushed down the double science route, rather than taking biology and art and I really resented it. I did OK but hated every minute of those lessons!

[DermotOLearyssuit]

Thanks both, good advice. We're all getting there I think - compromising on both sides!

[DermotOLearyssuit]

Thanks glee. She does want to do art and we've been ok with that. Just hoping she ends up with a balanced selection....

[WankersHacksandThieves]

Does she really have free reign to choose? Whilst in my DSs school they don't choose until end of S3, they don't have a complete free choice as they have to choose subjects from set columns. This meant that DS1 had to take a social subject when he didn't want to and couldn't take Graph Comm which he did. He was able to drop languages though. It worked out fine for him. All his subjects at higher are Maths/Tech based and that is what he will do for a career. DS2 had different columns, he could have dropped languages, chose to keep French (as he didn't fancy the other options in the column) but he is hating it.

I think that you have to allow them the main input as you will struggle to get them to make effort in subjects they don't want to do, but at the same time guide them as to the consequences of their choices.