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Memorizing words out a book is useless until one can apply the knowledge. That is providing the knowledge is valuable. A positive attitude is more important than writing a multi- paragraph essay.
By pushing them to do well academically, we are in effect pushing them to learn to jump through hoops at the sound of a whistle. We disregard the question of whether there is any relevancy to that they are taught, and encourage them to follow the flow chart of the school curriculum. That's the only thing that counts, and if they don't do that, they will be discarded by society to live a life of ignominy.
Sadly, that is what counts as vocational education, because virtually all of them will, in their adult lives, have jobs in which they will be required to follow a mindless flow chart, and be paid on Friday as a reward for not deviating from it.
Pushing others to succeed is indeed a waste of time.
ENCOURAGING others however, to think for themselves will create fear in the hearts of those nepotistic morons who refused to gain knowledge becaus they were being "employed" in positions that had the educated doing their work...
I wish I could remember the movie that used the paraphrased quote--
Not all jobs require an education. i know a lot of people in business that get by without any formal education especially small biz owners. However if your child wants to go into the medical field or be a physicist/engineer type jobs -I don't think you have much choice. I don't want to limit their options. If they don't seem motivated and prefer to work hands on then I wouldn't push them to further their education.
I wasn't pushed so to speak it was just expected that I would go on to college and get a degree. I guess I could have kept working at Kmart as in the acct office for a few bucks more than minimum wage but I knew I wanted more than that after high school. I was motivated!
We were always told that a college degree was supposed to prepare us for life in the real world. But today, the vast majority of college graduates end up moving back in with their parents. One report estimates that 80% of recent cllege graduates move back home with their parents. The have no marketable skills? How many history majors do we need? Vocational education seems to be the answer. I call a plumber when my pipes break not a person to teach me theory about what they think life is...
We were always told that a college degree was supposed to prepare us for life in the real world. But today, the vast majority of college graduates end up moving back in with their parents. One report estimates that 80% of recent cllege graduates move back home with their parents. The have no marketable skills? How many history majors do we need? Vocational education seems to be the answer. I call a plumber when my pipes break not a person to teach me theory about what they think life is...
What does moving back home with your parents have to do with anything? People do that as a smart way to save money so that they can move out with some savings in the bank. If I had that option, I would have done the same.
There are other jobs that need to be done outside of plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and HVAC (your big four vocational jobs). As a matter of fact, I was recently exposed to an entirely new field in my first job out of college. And my job requires a college degree (in no specific field). And no offense to vocational workers, but many (NOT ALL) of those I have met are not the most articulate people (sorry to offend anyone in those fields). So, though they may be very mechanically minded, they may not be able to articulate complex ideas very well.
If my kid's got a 4.0 GPA, I'm not going to push him to become a plumber or HVAC tech unless he has a lot of interest to be in those fields. People who have stellar intellectual abilities are handicapped when they are put in positions that require menial brain work. That's part of my argument here. We push our kids to be the best and the brightest, but when they enter the workforce, the majority of the jobs available to them are those that any shroom eating, LSD-dropping stoner could do. And then when it's time to move up to better jobs, we're being passed up by people who are obviously not that bright, just because they are on good terms with someone in authority.
Makes me think of the Wizard of Oz, when they finally get their desires from the wizard. For the scarecrow, who didn't have a brain, instead, they gave him a college degree.
Said the wizard"....many people don't have as many brains as you do, oh strawhead, but they have something you don't....a college diploma!"
I've seen that movie 1000+ times, but it really hit home when I saw it the day after I graduated college..... now what have I accomplished here?
It used to be that people were "children," then adults. there was no such thing as adolescence. Over-protection of children, then coddling of young adults is not doing anyone any favors. From what I hear in the news, college is now mostly about binge drinking . . .that should come in handy. People, in general, have antiquated ideas about what constitutes an education and what proper preparation for adulthood is. Most young adults will be tempted by credit, and ill-prepared for the workforce - especially the workforce of today, which is not what it used to be and I actually have no idea how to characterize it - but the thread poster was correct in saying all the focus on academics is for naught and not only is it not productive, it is counter-productive to a person's actual intellectual development. Schools used to teach and encourage critical thinking. These days it is considered heresy.
It used to be that people were "children," then adults. there was no such thing as adolescence. Over-protection of children, then coddling of young adults is not doing anyone any favors. From what I hear in the news, college is now mostly about binge drinking . . .that should come in handy. People, in general, have antiquated ideas about what constitutes an education and what proper preparation for adulthood is. Most young adults will be tempted by credit, and ill-prepared for the workforce - especially the workforce of today, which is not what it used to be and I actually have no idea how to characterize it - but the thread poster was correct in saying all the focus on academics is for naught and not only is it not productive, it is counter-productive to a person's actual intellectual development. Schools used to teach and encourage critical thinking. These days it is considered heresy.
I think those of you putting down college grads have only met or have heard about the worst of the bunch (binge drinking frat boys, ditsy sorority girls, etc.) Have you actually met the cream of the crop from the top schools? Most of them could run circles around you or any other average person.
I think those of you putting down college grads have only met or have heard about the worst of the bunch (binge drinking frat boys, ditsy sorority girls, etc.) Have you actually met the cream of the crop from the top schools? Most of them could run circles around you or any other average person.
Not putting down college grads. Focus on academics, to the exclusion of all else is not healthy and is not necessarily useful.
What do you mean by "run circles around?" I don't think anyone is challenging anyone else's intelligence. Everything is not a contest.
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now what have I accomplished here?
