The majority of students who enroll in college will not have a diploma or credential of any kind in six years. This grim fact of life has led a small but influential group of scholars to conclude that many young people should skip college altogether. Instead, the scholars recommend more shunting of public education students into vocational programs that will lead to a job more quickly. They also favor more apprenticeship programs as training for skilled labor positions.
Of course this flies in the face of efforts to get all high school graduates into higher education institutions—not to mention the Closing the Gaps initiative here in Texas. Another fact of life is the high correlation between educational level and income. If kids don't go to college and get a job, say, driving trucks, what is their financial outlook? How quickly could they shift to another occupation if necessary? Are there civic consequences of surrendering on the effort to get virtually everyone into higher education? One would expect, for instance, a higher proportion of ethnic minorities in the track containing those who can't afford tuition. This phenomenon alone could have explosive implications.
Tracking of public school students into vocational programs is an old idea that never seems to catch on. One could argue that community colleges became the solution. In fact, since two-year schools are swamped with students these days, these individuals are apparently "voting with their feet." But it's a hard slog for students who come from families with no college experience. In the old days, these kids could get jobs in the factory or farm and, perhaps, earn a decent living. Not any more.
The Coordinating Board is about to launch an intensive media campaign to create a "College Going Culture," as Commissioner Raymund Paredes puts it. The commissioner argues frequently with those who say college isn't for everyone.
A recent article in the New York Times gets into the scholarly debate over skipping college.
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