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Posted by Susan Hyde May 13, 2007 |
Maine has the lowest college attendance rate in New England, but the state’s House Speaker Glen Cummings (D-Portland) wants to change that. His recent bill, LD 1040, would require all of the Maine’s high school students to complete a college application.
At first glance, the bill sounds like a good idea. With fewer than 50% of Maine’s high school seniors attending college within the first twelve months after high school graduation and only 37% of Mainers between ages 25-64 holding a college degree, the state's schools could certainly be doing more to encourage able students to pursue higher education. However, the suggestion that all students must attend college in order to be prepared for the job market is misleading.
A more pressing question is whether the nation's public high schools are adequately preparing students for the work force -- especially those students who may not wish to attend college at all. Shouldn't America's high schools be preparing those students who do not wish to pursue a college degree? Where are the technical and vocational programs of yesteryear? What about internships and on-the-job training? In the rush to prepare every student for college, our schools seem to be forgetting that there are other options -- and many of those other options pay a living wage and are vital to America's economy. For instance, an owner of a appliance shop local to my area had a three week waiting list for my recent dishwasher repair. When the middle-aged technician was finally available to help me with my repair, he told me that he and his business partner were desperate to find young workers to do the job. While appliance repair does indeed require technical knowledge, much of this knowledge can be learned on-the-job or in specialty certification courses.
Don't get me wrong. I am a college educator, and I am a big fan of university education, but with the average college student graduating with education debts of $15,000 or more, perhaps it is time to evaluate student options.