Many people argue that courses offered by schools should be career-oriented, since the primary goal of education is for students to earn a living after graduation. However, I believe that students should learn general subjects.
For one, students should know how the world works. As an educated person, it's humiliating to seem uninformed and ignorant. Take myself as an example. When I was in high school, I was not fond of sciences and hoped to major in arts. I did see the point in attending those science classes and burning the midnight oil preparing for the examinations of physics and chemistry. However, I feel gratiful now that I was required to take those courses. Imagine how embarassed I would be if I did't even know the concepts of gravity, flash points or geomagnetic field.
Furthermore, many jobs require diverse knowlege in different fields. People can gain inspiration from knowledge in other fields and put forward creative ideas to solve problems. Besides,it's difficult to draw a line between courses related to specific careers and courses that are no, because some jobs require interdisciplinary knowlege. People working in Journalism can gain a competetive edge if they have diverse take-in in other fields like sports, politics etc. Translators will meet tremendous difficulty if they don't have broad range of knowlege.
Finally, students may not really know what career they want to pursue, and receiving education related to specific careers will make changing careers practically impossible. Young people are constantly searching for their own potential and desire, so their aspirations may easily change.Also, with the advancement in technology and society, students may later find their interest in novel industries and jobs. Though they still have to pay painstaking efforts studing in-depth knowlege in the new job, with the basics in general subjects, it's possible for them to suceed.
In conclusion, students should learn general subjects because the diverse knowledge can help them know how the world works, solve problems in positions requiring broad knowledge, and change careers. It's incumbent upon schools to broaden students' knowlege and prepare them for a promising future and meaningful life.