Should all, or even most, students really be pushed on the path towards college? Here are two opinion pieces that say they shouldn't: http://amp.slate.com/articles/life/...for_everyone_let_s_stop_pretending_it_is.html http://freedomisgroovy.com/the-groovy-guide-to-knowing-if-youre-college-material/
In that case should any kid be forced to go to school at all? If you answer that question you will have answered your original one.
I would answer yes to your question and no to kazenatsu's. Any modern civilized country requires a population with a basic education. The ones that don't are the ones who's women are kept barefoot and pregnant. I'm not sure who now, but just before the 16' election I heard a prominent Republican calling for funding trade schools for the kids who will not and should not attend college. That's a great idea. It's sad that no one in either party has taken up this cause...
Going to college teaches a basic education also, it teaches you how to function in an adult world. Something K-12 doesn't. You learn valuable social skills, responsibility, all sorts of things....there is a reason there are more successful college graduates than non-graduates.
Well here's something to consider: Fewer than 1 out of 3 Americans under the age of 25 has graduated with a college degree. Narrowing it down a little more, the following report says that, by the time they were 23 years old, 23 percent of women had earned a bachelor’s degree, while only 14 percent of men had done so: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/nlsyth_02092011.pdf Well, whether we should be pushing all these kids into college or not, the question still remains how to handle the majority that are not going to graduate from college. Or at the very least, it's going to be a lengthy period of time between when they're 18 and when they finally obtain a college degree, so how should economic policy be geared to handle that fact?
False, K through 12 use to do just that, and attending college is absolutely no does not predict anything
No it doesn't, it didn't prepare me for adult life at all. Taught me to read and do math, that's about it. Didn't teach me how to function among adults.
Way too many go to college as it is. As recently as the 1970s getting a college degree was a mark of distinction. Not anymore.
Well, it does. On average, people with college degrees make more money in a lifetime, have a lower lifetime unemployment rate, etc. For the most part, it's a pretty good predictor of future success, despite the average low earnings of the silly majors(art, etc.) going into those figures.
Sorry for your loss, but it is still not any colleges job to teach you how to be or deal with society in an adult way. Believe me I put my children through college and while it work out for them in successful careers so far. In fact I have a 28 year old SIL who is in fabrication making automation systems making $30 an hour he did attend trade classes as the community college but does not have any degree but a certificate. Him and my college educated daughter are doing quite well and he id even a handy guy to have around, kind of like me.
Of course its not their job to teach you but it is something you learn while going there. They don't whine at you if you don't show up, you just don't pass the class. They don't hold your hand to make sure you select the right classes, you kinda have to figure that out on your own. You have to get your funding on your own, sure they have help lines but if you don't call they won't be calling you. You have to grow up and deal with the real world. And yes there are many successful people who never went to college and there are many people who did go to college who aren't. We are discussing overalls here.
