Tom: OK, Martin, what we've got to do is come up with a list of 6 core subjects for high school students. 6 subjects that you have to study in high school, the ones that you can't decide to opt out of.

Martin: OK.

Tom: So first of all, what would be the most important subject in high school.

Martin: Well, I'd have to say language skill. So I think they have to be able to communicate and communicate their ideas before they go into further intensification of their ideas so English to ensure that they can communicate what they want to say effectively.

Tom: Right, yeah, I think a lot of people would agree with you. And presumably, maths as well.

Martin: Oh math of course, in the globalized world you need to be able to communicate numbers and it's a very very important skill that is a foundation for science and so many other things.

Tom: I think it's an important skill as well. How about science?

Martin: Oh of course science. What do you think Tom?

Tom: Well, I'm just wondering, in high school would you class science as one, or would you class it as three subjects: physics, biology, and chemistry. How much space do you think science should have?

Martin: I would say perhaps, three sounds almost too much but at the same time all three are very important. Physics and math can almost go together. Perhaps chemistry and biology can go together.

Tom: So perhaps we could take those 4 subjects and call them 2.

Martin: 2 or 3 subjects out of that. What do you think? Does that sound all right?

Tom: That would actually be quite a lot like what happened at my high school. So how many have we got left?

Martin: So we have English, math, and then we're going to take 2 subjects of biology, chemistry, math --or physics. And then we have, what, 2 more? So, what do you think?

Tom: Well I'm looking at the humanities now, history and geography and social studies. I think history is the most important of those.

Martin: Yes I definitely agree there that history, if you study it right, you can study geography and your social sciences as well and you need to have a background and understand your own background and other peoples' backgrounds as well so, very important. What do you think would be the last subject then?

Tom: Well, I mean the last group is the arts subjects. Do they really need to be compulsory?

Martin: Yeah. Hmm. Or what about physical education? Should that be compulsory?

Tom: Or foreign languages.

Martin: Or foreign languages. Hmm. What do you think?

Tom: I think foreign languages are very important but I also think physical education is very important especially at high school level.

Martin: Yeah.

Tom: I think I'd go for physical education.

Martin: Physical education? So that leaves us with 6 subjects of math, English, biology/ chemistry and physics combined into 2, and then history and physical education.

Tom: Do you agree with that?

Martin: By and large, the physical education we could call it that or perhaps foreign language both of which are very important.

Tom: You can't really combine them.

Martin: We definitely can't combine them so we have to choose one. I would say physical education because it'll aid the person now and in the future.

Tom: Great. Let's get that written down.