Tougher courses of study that are right now a choice for some high school students may soon become graduation requirements for all students.

The Hawaii State Board of Education‘s Committee on Curriculum, Instruction and Student Support approved new graduation requirements that, if approved by the full board, would apply first to students graduating in 2018, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported today.

The new “college and career-ready” diploma requirements are very similar to the current requirements for the board’s advanced Recognition Diploma, Department of Education Communications Director Sandy Goya told Civil Beat.

We wrote about the advanced diploma requirements back in May, and the concerns some education experts voiced then are amplified now: There’s no proof advanced requirements will work. And according to Mary Vorsino’s Star-Advertiser article, some education board members are concerned the new requirements will unduly burden the school system, which is suffering from teacher shortages in some areas and a money shortage in every area.

What do you think? Should the board adopt the new “college and career-ready” requirements? Share your thoughts in our ongoing education discussion.