Summarized in one succinct proposal.
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I would go on my regular tirade about how the sciences and what not, not only gets people out of poverty if you study and major in them, but is also the primary factor in what drives the wealth producing capacity of a nation. I would also point out this is the bonafide definition of racism. I would also point out some saying about "socialism" being "equal misery and poverty for everyone" but why bother. It's Berkeley. Self-prescribed medicine couldn't have happened to a more deserving people.
I think there is a very valid argument that high-school focuses too heavily on preparing students for university at the expense of all else. After all, the vast majority of students will not be accepted to college/university, the majority of those that do will not receive a degree, and the majority of those that receive a degree will not be able to get a career that actually is dependant on their degree (because the degree is worthless).
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion will never be taken seriously by Liberals being that it goes against their belief that every child can and should go to college. High-schools should split their student base into "Streams" as best as they can; and parents should have the choice of where to send their children to school as long as the school will accept the child as a student.
Now, I could be wrong but I suspect that in poorer communities many students would see a greater value in their education if they were given the opportunity to join an advanced apprenticeship program; especially if they could earn minimum wage while doing coursework for a company, and they could start working in an in-demand field for a good wage upon graduation (which would be likely if they were trained as a sheet-metal worker, machinist, or tradesman).
PeppermintPanda: You are likely correct in that liberals would dismiss the fact that college just isn't for some people. Of course no parent WANTS to hear their child say "college just isn't for me, I'm not going" but a good parent should be able to realize if this is true and make provisions for something else, such as a trade or technical school. You are spot on with the idea that poorer communities can benefit from apprenticeship and trade jobs though; there is no traditional university (that I know of) that teaches auto mechanics. I live outside of Jackson, MS where the average income is lower than the rest of the country and the tri-county area around Jackson has a healthy degree of respect for 2-3 year technical degrees offered by a local community college. If the programs are ran correctly and provide a real education (as opposed to a few of the degree mills around here) the job market will respond.
ReplyDeleteNothing like dumbing it down to make everyone equal!
ReplyDeleteI have seen this crap happening over and over again my whole life, and it never seems to avoid pissing me off.
ReplyDeleteToo many people fail a test, so therefore, the test must be the problem. (Could not possibly be the teacher, instruction method, or the parents.)
So, we either dumb it down, or get rid of it in its entirety.
No f-ing wonder 0 got elected.