I dislike the anti-education attitude of people who try to convince youth that college, grad school
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Anonymous
The last place the blame for lack of “good use” of “13+ years of free education” is on the students. The politicization (for want of a better word) of public education (and by extension private education) is a scandal. Students spend their days being mind-controlled, brainwashed, experimented on, and otherwise being occupied with just about anything but fact-based education and genuinely open discussion of the liberal arts. |
Anonymous
Are there still vocational/technical high schools where students get some “book and seminar” education while learning hands-on trade skills? |
Anonymous
Yes. Of course. There’s no poverty in Europe. Only “supportive societal structures” that put a kid on a no exit employment track around late elementary school, even if he’d be happier and more productive in the long term with a literature degree than as a cafe waiter. |
Anonymous
People pay plenty of taxes. The problem isn’t funds, it is misappropriation and corruption of school mission from education to social engineering. |
Anonymous
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Make 2yrs of community college free. Many people would take advantage of this and be able to afford the second 2 years if they need it for their degree. Most college bound students would still pursue other schools- but maybe enough of them would spend their first 2 years at community college, reducing their overall debt.
This would benefit society extensively. Better educated people; encourage people towards educational paths that are more appropriate for their goals; less student loan burden; etc. Strongly believe the benefit would outweigh the cost. |
Anonymous
That’s a simplistic and extreme way of characterizing what people say. It’s valid to tell students to consider ROI a degree, especially when they have to take on a lot of debt to obtain it. AI is soon going to render a lot of white collar jobs obsolete too. |
Anonymous
Because it’s good for our country and society to have a well educated work force. |
Anonymous
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My cousin has this attitude. He mocked me most of my 20s while I was working my tail off on grad school and he was "enjoying life" surfing, partying and working odd jobs. He told me over and over again that education was a hoax and not how you get rich.
Now in our 40s, I have a PhD/JD, a great job making good money AND making a difference in the world, nice house, no debt, tons of savings, take great vacations, etc. I'll be able to retire at 50 yo if I choose. By contrast, he's living in a crappy, run down apartment with his wife and two kids. They can barely pay the bills. He works as a sales clerk at a medical marijuana store, but takes most of his pay in goods so his wife struggles to pay rent and buy food for the family. He's a heavy smoker and planning to die early of lung cancer so he doesn't think he needs any retirement savings. His parents would have sent him to college in a heartbeat--he's from an upper middle class background. This life is of his own choosing. Unfortunately he's taught his kids that education is worthless. I hope they can see through that delusion. |
Anonymous
DP We know there is poverty in Europe, though it’s still preferable to be poor in Europe than in the US. And there are ways to change school tracks and get to university even if you didn’t start out that way. Also many jobs that you need a college degree for here can be done without one in Europe, even white collar ones. There are technical schools and apprenticeships for a wide variety of jobs. |
Anonymous
| There's a limit to how much education is worth getting. Once you're past 4 years, it's not always worth it to pursue more education if it doesn't align with some future goal. It's very expensive, and it's also lost income. At some point, a lot of formal education can become a foolish thing. |
Anonymous
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The irony, of course, is that those who are telling kids to avoid college went to the Ivy League themselves and enrolled their kids in fancy private HS and colleges.
Do as I say, not as I do for my family... The anti-education messaging is literally propaganda and disinformation. It actually is a constructive example for teaching your kids how to identify political messaging and propaganda. |
Anonymous
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Sigh- this isn’t that difficult. If you are think of going into a trade then trade school may be better for you. Why have a ridiculous loan?
I think many college course are a waist of time. |
Anonymous
Internships and apprenticeships are usually pretty hard to set up. A lot of kids preferred paid work instead. A lot of companies dont want to deal with the hassle or safety issues of having a teen around. Oftentimes, the company insurance wont allow hiring below age 18. At least in MCPS, students need to find their own internships, so it become a huge barrier for students with limited connections. I teach career prep courses. Most careers have extensive series of exams. Math, reading, study/organizational skills are a necessity. I often compare them to prepping for AP exams. You need often need to study on your own for a month to get ready and take practice exams. For example, there are multiple ways to become an aviation mechanic (military, apprenticeship, trade school), but you have to take a series of seven FAA exams to get a full airframe and powerplant certification. This is includes written, oral, and practical exams. That is common in the trades. Students absolutely need academic skills to be successful. The days when kids could drop out of school in 8th grade and go to work in a factory ended in the 70's. |
Anonymous
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I think people mistake education for a degree. Education never ends and you can be self taught. Reading is really where it's at. To read and comprehend and utilize info - experience is another kind of teacher in the context of education.
To simplify education as just having a formal degree is the kind of ignorance that the "educated" have. In a study of F500 CEOs, they were astounded to discover most did NOT have a grad degree. Did you know that? Google it. The most important single factor in education is the desire of knowledge and a sense of curiosity to gain that knowledge. It's not something school can really give you. It's a means to start a professional career that requires a specific amount of knowledge if law, medicine, engineering. Short of this, education and degree are totally different things. |
Anonymous
Very few American teens are either. And the adults I know who grew up in true poverty aren’t whining about student loan forgiveness. They had scholarships (merit and need-based), they did time in the military, they did two years at cc before going to a directional state school, they took minimal loans and paid them off, usually working non-prestigious jobs. Those people are doing great in their 40s. The people in my circle who “need” student loan forgiveness grew up solidly middle class, and went to expensive private colleges, took a victory lap or two, studied abroad a few times, etc. After graduation they travelled the world, lived downtown, belonged to expensive fitness clubs, went out to the “it” restaurants until they turned 30 and started complaining about student loans, income inequality, housing prices, and whatnot. They are now in their 40s, attempting to start a family (usually via IVF), still paying their loans (after a three year hiatus), and complaining they are stuck in their condo because of interest rates. Does income inequality exist? Absolutely. But millennials with fancy degrees in a liberal arts field, living in Navy Yard while working for the government or for a “meaningful” nonprofit aren’t experiencing it. |