I was talking to a professor today at school and she was telling me about the new reforms that have been passed by the Washington State Legislature, to be enforced by the Board of Education.

Here's a summary of statistics:

In Washington State:
-93% of high school students feel that they should be able to attend college
-Only 35% of all Wash. HS students were able to pass the new state standards for graduation in 2004.
-Only 40% of all students that entered 4 year universities in Wash graduate
-The state has consistently lowered graduation standards (pre 2004) because of pressures to graduate more students, resulting in abysmal performances in colleges.
-New standards require all students, for graduation, to have 4 years of mathmatics and 2 years of lab sciences

What I'm getting at is, only 40% of students that actually get IN to universities are able to graduate. Yet nearly all HS students feel that they have every right to go to college, failure rates be damned.

Should high schools stop putting such enormous pressure on students to prepare for college when so many of them flat-out aren't going to make it into college? There are so many careers out there that do not require a college education, but do require some apprenticeship or on-job training, would it benefit us to begin that training in high school? Why force a student who plans on working in carpentry to take 2 years of lab science? Why force a musician to take 4 years of math?
It seems to me that all of these "solutions" do nothing to solve anything, and place massive pressure on teenagers that may be unnecessary.

I think schools often feel the need to emphasize college because...

...sadly, in America, 18 year olds are still coddled enough that they tend to be very poor at decision-making. Many want the immediacy of reward, so people who could do so much with their lives might throw that chance away.

...the influx of fury from parents who WANT their kids to hear all about college all the damn time is way more intense than the influx of parents who are irritated with the college-references.

...there is a lot of pressure from city, state, and national decision-makers (politicians) who want to look good by quoting high numbers of kids going to college.

...college rocks.

I am sick and tired of hearing about college, personally. Yes, I want to go, but it seems that too much stress is placed on the importance of going (and then to grad school after that). It seems like the only purpose of high school was preparing for college, to get grades and scores good enough for acceptance. It dulls the interest in learning, at least for me, because now it just feels like I'm waiting for letters and everyone is starting to slump since it "doesn't matter" anymore. I'm sick of having stress placed upon upholding school standards by getting good test scores rather than being taught for the sake of it. I used to enjoy learning, but now I feel like I won't be able to enjoy it unless/until I get in and go.

If the USA wants to remain powerful within the world community, then the answer to the question is yes, college prep should be emphasized. I worked in the International Programs Department at PSU for 3 years and even without numerous conversations with the Study Abroad Advisors and Foreign Student Advisors in the office, it was pretty apparent that the USA is woefully unprepared to deal with competition from highly educated students from other countries. The differences in grades, degrees being sought, and ability to blend on a social level with other cultures were glaringly obvious.
College level education is so important now in getting a good job, I shudder to think just what the USA will be contributing to (and thus benefiting from) the rest of the world in the next 25 years or so.

We have been the most successful country in the world in large part over the past 50 years because there had always been a significant influx of the best minds/most well-educated minds in the world immigrating to this country, and allowing the country to benefit from that knowledge...what happens as that immigration slows down (which I'm sure it already has), and more US students decide college isn't such a big deal anymore?

Our problem (in Australia) is too many of our minds are going overseas (such as to the USA) because there just aren't enough jobs for us here. I never used to understand why people do that and I never thought I would be one of them, but he closer I get to graduating, the more attractive that prospect has become to me.

I don't know much about Australia, but that attitude was most definitely present among students from China, India, and Korea. Given, the governments of those countries were nothing like Australia, and the idea of freedom in the USA was a tempting one for sure to those students, I talked to enough of them to know that even the ones who wouldn't mind going back to their country didn't have much hope of finding good jobs (the kind that allowed them to prosper) in those countries.

I understand the amount of stress high school students are feeling, and may feel even more in the near future, is intense, but I think that says something to the way we teach children in grade school and high school more than it has to do with feeling pressured to get a college education. I feel the entire educational system in this country needs an overhaul otherwise even the college grads won't be able to compete in what's becoming more and more a world environment.

I think teaching should be focused a little more on preparing for the "real world". I think every student should take a Home Ec. class and Buisness Math related courses. I've known people who made A's in Trigonometry, but aren't able to balance a checkbook. Or didn't know how to cook, iron, or wash clothes. That's a shame.

Parents or Guardians should be teaching those things.

I agree on both counts, somewhat. I wouldn't mind home ec personally because my mom doesn't allow me to do...anything around the house. Yes, I actually WANT to do chores. Then again, it's not the school's job to be teaching home skills, more... knowledge and life skills. But anyways, tangent over...

Whats interesting is that Germany has had an education system that is based on focusing students into their career while still in high school for quite some time. All students go to the same Kindergarten and Grundshule (Elementary School), but as early as age 10 they begin to decide what career field they want to pursue. Students who are interested in a apprenticeship/skilled field of work (plumbing, electrician, mechanic, etc) attend what is known as Hauptschule, from which they graduate at age 16 to begin on-the-job training and enter the workforce. Students who attend Realschule prepare for jobs in business, technology fields, and other assorted white collar/service occupations, usually graduating at 18 and receiving training at professional schools before entering the workforce. The highest level of schooling is the Gymnasium, a rigorous curriculum whose final years are comparable to the first years of college. Usually graduating at age 19, Gymnasium students must complete the Abitur, a very difficult final project/ college entrance exam (think AP tests bumped up quite a few notches and covering a broader subject area). These students are the ones who enter college, going on to become doctors, lawyers, research scientists, professors, etc. College is free for the vast majority of students who complete the Abitur and Gymnasium, although this trend is slowly changing. These educational paths are not entirely rigid, and there is ability for movement from one field to the next, as long as the required profiency is shown.

I just thought I'd share that as an example of an educational system that is more career oriented, rather than expecting the majority of students to attend college.

That's really interesting, thanks Nate.

One thing that I like about my German classes is that we've always been taught German society, culture, and government, as well as how to speak and write.

High School did not remotely prepare me for a future in any field or for that matter undergraduate education. I learned very little that I could apply later in life.

And I suppose shotgunning beers hasn't been a "life skill"?

--PunkDavid

Well I'll be damned if I haven't been caught.

I don't want to credit my high school with advocating alcoholism to most of its students, but to do so wouldn't be too far from the truth. Let me rephrase my response. No overt efforts by any authority (instructor, administrator or otherwise) in my High School done learned me a goddamn thing.

I will admit the social skills you pick up there are essential, but I cannot credit the school with facilitating that when they spend most of their time disciplining its students for socializing.

You raise a good point. The dirty little secret of education is (shhhhh!)

school is a place where they SOCIALIZE you. Learning and knowledge is completely secondary. Maybe they ought to be more honest about their job as the training center for the workers of tomorrow instead of fluffing themselves about their importance as teachers.

--PunkDavid

Deutschland über alles! (hey, if the germans can't show nationalism, then I feel I should make up for them)

My german is so terrible... Ich bin nur ein einfacher Schuler.

What if the parents or guardians are uneducated themselves?

College just isn't for everyone. When the people in power understand this, perhaps our education system will stop teaching to all these standardized tests and create an environment where kids actually want to learn.

It is in no way the responsibility of the government to teach someone how to wash their socks or make macaroni & cheese.