Reply to WashPost: College is remade as tech majors surge and humanities dwindle

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Society devalues the humanities. That's why our society is in such a sad state.[/quote]

Wrong.  The society of today is not devaluing humanities.  Universities’ humanities departments have devalued humanities degrees in the last few decades.  In the good old days when few people went to college and fewer studied humanities, those with humanities degrees were the few, the elite of the society.  Most of them came from noble families.  They didn’t need to get “jobs” to make a living.  Then starting in the 1980’s the society was sold the idea that EVERY high school graduate should go to college.  Or at least most of them.  It was easy money for universities.  No labs were needed (unlike science and engineering), and a history class can be held in a big lecture hall of 500 people.  Therefore, the society has not devalued humanities, but universities have definitely devalued humanities degrees. [/quote]

Er, Hello, the universities don’t exactly operate in a vacuum. They mirror what society wants[/quote]

Agree.  But the society “wanted” it because the political elite has been pushing this ridiculous idea of “every child must go to college” for the last 40 years.  Germany and Japan are advanced economies but they are fine with most of their youths not going to college.  In Germany, a child as young as 11 or 12 years old decides whether he/she wants to go on college track or trade track. [/quote]

Do you think it is a good thing to decide at 12?  What about late bloomers?  Also, in Germany, you learn one skill and people don’t really ever switch careers.  I can’t imagine not having that flexibility.

I agree, though, that pushing everyone to college is probably not the best thing.  The problem is it was (still is?) very much a class thing.  Which of us wants to be first in not sending our child?  We do it because we think it is expected of our class and we want them to have the opportunities.  I don’t see that ever changing.  UMC/UC folks will always send their children to college.[/quote]

That’s the problem with DC educated elites.  That’s not my problem or the rest of the society’s problem.  They would rather have their boys get useless degrees than skilled labor jobs.  The HVAC technician who fixed my AC in 2018 (long before this era of high inflation) told me that he was making $130k and needless to say, started earning positive income early with no student debt. [/quote]

If only the local school system would accept this and stop trying to force everyone on the same path and focusing on pointless gaps.[/quote]

+1000 
A kid who hates school, struggles throughout, will be much better served by a vocational program as part of HS.  Don't make that kid take 2 years of French that they might barely pass and will make them hate school even more.  Same with advanced math, etc.  Let them study Auto mechanics, HVAC, etc starting in HS for 1-3 hours a day. Let them get an "internship" by senior year with some on the job shadowing.  Much better use of their time than making them take French and Algebra 2---develop a math class that will be much more practical/useful for someone going into the trades or not onto college.  
Because the fact is, someone who hates school, struggles and barely gets a 2.4 in HS is not likely a good candidate for college immediately upon graduation.  They will likely not enjoy college and it will be a waste of $$ and time.  so we need to stop pushing them to do this and that it is the "only path to success".

I know I pay $140-150/hr just to have a plumber or HVAC technician come to my house (unless you are on a "plan").  Even in a larger company (with more management and overhead), those technicians are making good money.  And more importantly for certain people this is what they love to do.  Plenty of kids who "hate school" and regular classes will shine at these hand on problem solving trades. [/quote]

People who enjoy their plumbing or HVAC job have good personalities, and relaxing work environment, and less college debt, and not obsessed with looking richer and having higher  status credentials than the neighbors, not a passion for poop water and dirty air.

[/quote]

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