On a day-to-day basis, teenagers struggle with the inner workings of their cars.

Passers-by see the young, clueless minds on the side of the road or in parking lots with their hoods popped open and they are bent over their engine without a slight idea of what to do next. It could happen to anybody, but no one imagines it happening to themselves. Someone needs to step up and teach students what to do in these situations.

About a fourth of Perry’s licensed students say they have been caught in some type of trouble where their car had broken down. When parents are unavailable for assistance, teenagers’ first idea is to call a friend for help, but when is turning to someone with the same understanding the beneficial solution?

Young students cannot be blamed for having this extremely limited knowledge; they were simply never taught how to fix a car. Not everyone’s parents have the time or desire to explain everything they know about vehicles to their children, so schools should be the next option on the list.

Some high schools offer body shop classes to their interested students, but so far Perry has not given that option; however, it is unrealistic to expect every teenager to rush to sign up. There are plenty of other unpopular elective classes, but that should not be a reason to dismiss the class altogether.

Students are being deprived of the opportunity to expand their comprehension of something they use every day: cars. Teenagers’ should have the choice to take a body shop class in school if they would like to avoid a real-life sticky situation that is bound to come sooner or later. If administration plans on implementing any kind of program, the best time to start would be now.