Quote:
Originally posted by Colin@Feb 5 2004, 07:32 AM
I would like to see a much larger role for apprenticeship in the public school system. Kids learning trades. There is some of this scattered through the US (and the world). There is a program in New York called BOCES which teaches various vocations to students. Not sure how good it is but it's on the right path.
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I agree. A few years ago, i lived in Ireland. We lived in a small town (population of about 10 thousand at the time) and there were a few primary schools, 1 public highschool, 1 private highschool, and a tech school.
If you didn't have the money to go to the private school, you had to take a test to get into the public school, as they liked to keep the class numbers down. So, if you didn't rank high enough on the test, or couldn't afford to get into the private school, you were sent to tech school, to learn a trade.
I was really young at the time (my older brother was in his first year of highschool when we left), but i look back at it now and i think it's a great idea. You eliminate the students that aren't interested in going to university and becoming a professional, and you weed out the kids that just aren't capable. Sounds harsh, but like you said, not every kid can be above average.
So by the time these kids are 13 or 14, they've already started an apprenticeship, and by the time they're 17 or 18, they are fully qualified in whatever trade they had chosen. The students that went to highschool have smaller classes, which is a better learning environment. They don't have to deal with students that don't have any intellectual goals (the students that normally disrupt lessons). It's win win.
I live in Australia now, and it pisses me off. Everyone here pushes students towards university.
"You have to graduate highschool or you won't be able to get a job"
"You have to go to university or you'll never amount to anything"
And intentionally or not, i think they're putting across the point that becoming a tradesman is a failure. People are ashamed to become tradesman. There are kids here reaching grade 10 (which is the year they're allowed to legally drop out) and they're being persuaded to stay until the graduate instead of leaving, and getting a 2 year headstart on their apprenticeships.
Tradesman are important. There is no shame in doing a blue collar job, and i think that should be communicated to young people.