Several comments here: For many years local schools only went through the 8th grade. If you wanted to go to school beyond that, you generally had to go out of the area you lived in to attend school beyond 8th grade. In later years it was decided to increase to 12th grade at local schools and expand the educational opportunities locally. If you recall, at one time high school was generally a separate, stand alone school in the larger community and many people still didn't complete a high school education. Today, our schools in many communities are not doing an adequate job of teaching even through the 12th grade. We have to change that result before we try and expand an education after that.
Part of that problem comes with teaching the basics such as reading and comprehension. Also there seems to be a knowledge deficit with basic math and science. Schools want to push everything else but the basics. They also have stopped teaching the basic skills needed for beginning employment - too much emphasis on college, not enough on everyday tasks. In many places, there are still too many students who can't even manage to complete 12 years and actually learn what little is provided.
After we figure out how to get a successful education out of 12 years, we will need to eventually add 2 more years but we will need to look at the old European idea of establishing different educational paths for the students. That is part of the problem with high school today - the push that all students should go to college after high school. While that is the right direction for many students, it leaves many more with no suitable direction. We need to remember there are many career choices where a 1-2 year vocational education prepares them for a successful career.
Great points. In Vegas, even with our casino profits, our kids go to schools that do not provide books or lockers. I think the idea is that progress has been such that books are not needed and everything can be done on computers. But how about how the economy has progressed, and what is needed NOW to be competitive and successful?
And I also believe that schools have also become too much of a platform for political ideology and indoctrinating the most current social trends and values, instead of fact based, stand the test of time, education.
It is truly insane the lack of priority that has been given to preparing our youth for self sufficiency in adulthood.
Edited by
msharmony
on Sun 02/23/20 10:25 AM