Ed Deficits Show Need for Vocational Classes in High School

Every year the P & C runs an op-ed by Gene Budig and Alan Heaps bemoaning the educational deficits in America's youngest generations. They moan about the facts, but offer no solutions. This year's bemoans the disconnect between what students and parents think they are getting (a good education) and what they are actually achieving. Here are their stats:

• A mere one-third of our eighth graders are proficient or better in math and reading.
• Only a quarter of graduating high school seniors are ready for college level math, and less than 40 percent for reading.
• Our 15-year-olds rank 38th of 71 countries in science and 24th in math.
• Fewer than 60 percent of those who enter college graduate within six years.
• Only a third of Americans have a four year degree or higher.
• We import skilled workers. Companies annually request between 200,000 and 300,000 imported workers to fill science, technology, engineering and math positions.

One of the many problems with these facts is that they assume that a four-year college degree is desirable for the majority of students. Nothing could be further than the truth. Oh, yes, I know that it is drummed into every child's head that if he or she doesn't get a college degree, the student will spend the rest of life as a downtrodden peasant.

That's part of the problem. We actually had a President state that everyone should graduate from college. Such blind assertions exacerbate the notion that somehow a person isn't quite, well, valuable to society unless B.A. or B.S. can follow his or her name. Let's judge the statistics from another angle. 

A mere one-third of our eighth graders are proficient or better in math and reading. This group should enter high schools that will prepare them for college entrance. Right now many of them are simply segregated into "honors" classes. The two-thirds who are not proficient should attend high schools that prepare them for skilled workforce jobs. 

Only a quarter of graduating high school seniors are ready for college level math, and less than 40 percent for reading. These are essentially the same one-third of eighth-graders mentioned above, with adjustments made for high school dropouts. Students not ready for college-level work would already have a workforce skill if they had the opportunity to develop one in vocational classes.

Our 15-year-olds rank 38th of 71 countries in science and 24th in math. Maybe we should look at how other countries segregate their students into schools that prepare them for skilled careers. They do, you know!

Fewer than 60 percent of those who enter college graduate within six years. Because those dropouts shouldn't have taken on the debt of student loans in the first place. Some of these no doubt were caught up in the party culture so prevalent on campuses today, but most colleges accept unqualified students to meet their quotas. Take a good look at all of the colleges and universities that essentially have open admissions, taking anyone who graduates from high school and spawning multiple non-credit "college" courses to bring those students up to standards (they hope).

• Only a third of Americans have a four year degree or higher. Why is this a bad statistic? How many jobs really require a college education? Look around you at the salesmen, real estate brokers, barristas, and office workers. Did they really need four years of college? Did they really need to forgo income for four years while racking up thousands in student loans?

• We import skilled workers. Companies annually request between 200,000 and 300,000 imported workers to fill science, technology, engineering and math positions. Here is the only argument that holds water. The number is inflated because foreign workers will accept less pay, but don't we want educated immigrants to our country? The question for our schools is, are these skills necessarily taught in college, or could many of them be taught in high school if our system took job skills seriously?

Food for thought.