“Get rid of first grade” [“Love Buttars,” Private Eye, Feb. 11, City Weekly]. This is brilliant, ingenious and inspired! Wish I thought of this.

While I’ve never really been a fan of Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, I have to agree with him on the need to eliminate 12th grade, even without the reason to save money. But gettidng rid of first grade is an even better proposal.

What is the purpose of a Utah public education? Besides the arguments of maturity (in body and mind), if out of school before age 18, what is a high school diploma supposed to mean in this state?

I thought the reason was to make the student somewhat able to be informed and make good decisions as part of the political system, i.e., the obligations of citizenship. Even if this isn’t agreed to by all, just being 18 years old and allowed to vote would be another reason to get rid of first grade (and maybe even second grade).

John Thompson
Ogden