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(no email)
Date: Wed Aug 25 2004 - 12:04:55 EDT
I've been following this thread for a awhile now so guess it's time for me
to throw in my two cents worth.
I'm 65 years old and completed high school in 1957. I attended what was
called a "vocational" high school and up until about the late 50's was
considered an acceptable option to an "academic" high school. But along
about the time I graduated a lot of "educators" began to look down on this
type education. I clearly remember going back to visit my old grammar school
and the negative comments that the teachers made when they heard I had
graduated from Glenn Vocational High. This even though I was able to go
right into a state university, unlike some of my grammar school classmates
that had attended academic high schools, without so much as having to attend
one remedial class.
Due to some poor decisions on my part I did not complete college but because
of my vocational high school training in machine shop I was always able to
get a decent paying job. After a few years of experience, I was as qualified
(in some cases more qualified in real world situations) as a lot of college
graduates with engineering degrees. Of course as they gained experience they
moved on up the ladder ahead of me, as maybe they should have, but my point
is I was still able to support a family at a fairly comfortable middle class
level.
As I see it today the American education process is only interested in
making everyone college material. They seem to believe that that is the only
measure of success and anything less is failure. As a result we have a
country full of folks that leave school as soon as they can because not all
can be while collar workers and there is very little encouragement from our
educators for them to be knowledgeable blue collar workers.
Even here in this thread the comparison is made between white collar and
blue collar compensation "If and when mechanical and or maintenance jobs pay
as much as white collar jobs and have the same benefits they will become far
more attractive". This suggests that only when a job pays as much as white
collar will that job be attractive. What about all those people that left
school at 16 years old and now at 25 are making minimum wage at Doodle
Burger, Wally World, etc.? Would they not be better off if they had been
encouraged to stay in an education program that taught them to be a skilled
blue collar worker and earn $20/hour? Why is the only acceptable measure of
success $45 plus?
Unless this changes, and I don't see that happening, the economical gap will
continue to widen and the shortage of diesel mechanics, brick layers,
electricians, plumbers, etc. will get worse.
Bill
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