A quest for knowledge and a better understanding of the world as it is through history, science, literature, math and language is the basis of education.

Sadly, through the ever-more competitive college education system, high school students are often tempted to accumulate the highest grade point average possible, rather than attempt to pursue an education tract that offers the highest level of education.

A recent move by the Newton County Board of Education to encourage its top students to follow a more rigorous educational path could be beneficial to the students of Newton County - despite possible negative feedback.

The new regulations involve the requirement for top 10 graduates to take advanced placement courses, not just college preparatory courses.

A true honor student not only excels in the most basic of classes but is a student who aspires to gain even more knowledge through academic challenges. Those same students will benefit from the more rigorous curriculum as they seek higher education.

In addition AP courses are a way for students to save money in the long-run on their college education and allow them to enter college already ahead of the game. They help ambitious students to get the most out of their college experience, whether it's through a double-major, a study abroad experience, internships or a co-op, which they might not otherwise have had the time to do.

Newton County should not want to turn out mediocre students with high GPAs, but it should want to produce bright, creative thinkers, who take on any challenge given to them.