Premium Essay

Save Vocational Education in High Schools

In:

Submitted By kkelvt
Words 1891
Pages 8
ENG 1060 – English
16 November 2011

Save Vocational Education Vocational programs at the high school level are an excellent way to provide fresh young minds with skills that cannot be achieved through academic courses alone. It is a solid foundation for young adults entering the work force in today’s economy. “A technical education is crucial in this day and age, equally so to some students as academic offerings are to others”(Tech Ed n. pag)., allowing them to pursue a career after high school whether they decide to further their education or not as stated by one news journalist; “…not every student wants to, or even should go to college. A sound technical track on the high school level can give students the skills to make a good living while providing an attractive pool of workers to draw new business.” (Tech Ed n. pag). Vocational programs must remain in place in America’s high schools and not be closed due to budget cuts or lack of interest as they are necessary to provide students with occupational and life skills. Vocational learning has often been depicted as a way of avoiding the monotony of traditional academics. This is not the case; by incorporating the programs directly with the high school, technical classes are taken in conjunction with core academics. Courses such as technical education, business and accounting, and many other classes are great ways for students to begin learning what it will be like to work in a professional environment when they leave high school. Wood working, metal shop, auto mechanics, and culinary classes provide valuable skills and for some students create enough interest to deter them from dropping out of school. Students who might otherwise turn to troublesome situations or drop out of school find purpose in participating in these programs. The courses provide hands on, real time learning experiences for

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Is College Necessary or Not

...Hunter Swope Professor Hart ENGL-1010-03 6 June 2016 Should Everybody Go To College? The big question for a high school senior today is should I go to college or not? In today’s world they say you have to go to college to be successful in life. Is this true or false? There are many big questions that taunt a senior. Am I ready for college academically? Am I financially prepared for the cost of college? Do I want to be forty thousand dollars in debt right after college? Do I really know what profession I want to pursue? These are all overwhelming questions that a high school senior has to answer. Among them are the pressures that everyone should go to college that our society dictates today. Charles Murray in “What’s Wrong with Vocational School?” makes a strong case that America needs to look at higher education in a different way. The second article “On Real Education” by Robert T. Perry states that America needs more college graduates. Both articles make good points, but Murray makes the point that not all are made for college. In the article “What’s Wrong with Vocational School” by Charles Murray he believes that college is not necessary for some people. Murray takes a look at the IQ test and how it could determine if students are academically capable or ready for college. An IQ test could possibly measure if you are college material or is there another path that would be better. Any score below 115 would mean that college is going to be difficult and hard. According...

Words: 1272 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Unit 7 2nd Draft

...the United States prepares students for life after high school is long overdue. The U.S. education system currently fails to prepare many young Americans to lead successful adult lives because our preparation strategy is narrow, focused on readying students to attend four-year colleges and universities. As a result, many youth leave high school no more fit to succeed in college than to thrive in the world of work. Even though high school schedules lack job related courses, vocational school prepares you more for the workforce than conventional high school because the curriculums are hands on based and vocational education combines theory and realistic approaches. There is a need for more effective approach that supports the American system. We must offer young people in high school and beyond multiple pathways to success, instead of putting so much emphasis on attending a four-year college. Engaging employers into crucial work of preparing young people for success, such as providing career counseling and offering opportunities for work-based learning and actual employment and create a new social compact with youth, in which key stakeholders in a state or region educators, employers, and government officials -- pledge to collaboratively improve pathways for those who are now being left behind. The structure and demographics of today’s high schools states that forty percent of white students attend high schools that is 90 percent or more white, while roughly one-third...

Words: 2582 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Incarceration And Prison Case Study

...exceptionally bright intellectually. A divergent learner doesn’t identify with traditional teaching strategies in schools and is likely to have learning disabilities unless the school engages him/her with diverging learning strategies (p.1). The main issue with this student is not actually that they cannot learn but it is that they learn differently. By recognizing the characteristics of a divergent learner and knowing how to engage with them social workers can better understand how the program will help these student learn. The participants in this program were studied for an average of 57 days. ”During their time at YDC the students have increased their levels in reading by .43 grade levels and their math levels in reading by 1.02 grade levels.” (Layton, Ardern, & Lee, 2010, p...

Words: 2078 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Class

...he finished his vocational education, this was because the teachers were incompetent and most of the time unprepared. “Rose was enrolled in this school, which was a bottom level school by mistake (Rose 141).”The educational system is partially to blame, according to Mike Rose. Many learners will pass through high school having undergone negative elements such as fear, frustration and boredom. Mike Rose did not escape the sour side of the educational system. Rose hadn’t stayed in school for more than two months before getting a blow on his face and having his glasses broken by the English teacher who he referred to as being troubled. This was one way fear was instilled in the students' mind. During the Spanish class with the new tutor, Mr. Montez, he was not able to settle the dispute between Billy and Dweetz which ended up into a fight in the classroom. The physical exercise teacher also had a negative impact in his life. He would make students touch their ankles and spunk them to make men out of them. Therefore, this paper will try and prove that Anyon is right when he says that schools socio-economic class determines the type of instructions students receive. When you have a poor educational system, then the future generation will be poorly equipped with skills. The only way out is to get exceptional teachers who can teach students on how to make hypotheses which is one of the key requirement to survive in any job. On the other hand, the vocational education system makes students...

Words: 1332 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

High School Graduates Should Take a Year Off Before College

...High school graduates should take a year off before entering college. Anna Swain Dr. Anne Marie Keyes Critical Thinking - PHI 210 March 11, 2012 The purpose of my paper is to convey my thoughts regarding High School graduating students taking a year off before entering college. Many parents and students have mixed feelings concerning this topic of discussion; therefore, my main audience will be focused towards the parents and these graduating seniors. I hope to present a clear, understandable, and convincing overview of the college “Gap” year alternative. As students, we have all looked forward to graduating from high school and beginning our college life. Parents have worked hard and hopefully saved towards this next step in their child’s life. However, if you have graduated and have your high school diploma in your hands; you may begin to wonder if college is right for you, just now. Not every high school graduate goes to college and maybe you don't feel ready for college, and maybe a year off would be the right thing for you. According to collegeboard.com, “many students do go straight to college after graduation, but some students do take a year off to pursue an interest or just to take a break from school, they do this by taking a gap year, a year off, a deferred year, or just plain time off;” they should, however, use this time wisely and not waste the year. Parents also wonder if it's worth taking a year...

Words: 1257 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Fresh

...INTRODUCTION OF MORE UNEMPOLYMENT THAN EMPLOYMENT Unemployment is simply the state of not having a job. Unemployment or joblessness occurs when people are without work and are actively seeking for one. Africa is deeply affected with a high rate of unemployment especially among the youth. Africa is now having the most youthful population in the world with the youth covering close to between 60% and 70% of the continents population. This menace poses great threats to the strength and growth of Africa. Though unemployment is seen manifested all over the world, the case of Africa is very dilapidating to say the least. Unemployment in Africa is manifested in seasonal layoffs (e.g., in agricultural jobs), technological changes in industry (particularly by increased automation), racial discrimination, lack of adequate skills by the worker, or fluctuations in the economy. In a 2011 news story, Business Week reported, "More than 200 million people globally are out of work, a record high, as almost two-thirds of advanced economies and half of developing countries are experiencing a slowdown in employment growth". This is not very encouraging and therefore drastic measures must be instigated to curb this situation. Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing the African continent. In accordance with IMF/World Bank conditions, most of the African countries applying structural adjustment measures have retrenched large number of public-sector workers. In February 1995, for...

Words: 973 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Value of Education

...Devani Rae Santos English 110 17 February 2015 The Value of Education In her essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” author Caroline Bird postulates monetary and social reasoning for why obtaining a college degree is a waste for many students. According to Bird, college has a miniscule value and effect on people and society, and is indeed a waste of time and money. She suggests many students are only in pursuit of a higher education because they lack societal value and purpose after graduating high school, resulting in them feeling obligated to go to college in hopes of obtaining structure and a high paying job. Unlike Bird, I believe a college degree holds a lifetime of abundant benefits. It is our duty as a society to push the value and credibility of higher education, as it can open many doors one couldn’t possibly achieve without some sort of earned credibility or degree. In “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” Bird tells us while lecturing across US college campuses, she came to realize that many students aren’t in school because they want to learn, but more so because they felt obligated to attend since they are not highly valued in our society. She suggests young adults go to college for several different reasons; some may go with a genuine interest in learning, some may go in order to get away from home, yet still be supported by their parents and taxpayers, but most go because it’s the ‘normal’ thing to do. For the most part, I agree that young people...

Words: 1542 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Factors Influencing the Choice of Career Among Students at Shs in Ghana

...CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Background to the Study Education is the key that unlocks the door to development. Ghana as a developing country has never relented in her efforts to draw up educational programmes to meet the changing demands, needs and aspirations of her citizens as well as the nation as a whole since independence in 1957. The first initiative in education taken by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the Associated Development Plan that aimed at ensuring that every child of school going age (i.e. 6 years) receives fee free basic education. Education was therefore seen as a process of helping an individual to develop his abilities, interests potentialities and talents to the optimum so as to be useful to himself or herself and the nation as a whole. As the individuals develop fully their cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills and contribute meaningfully towards the development of the nation, then it can be confirmed that the assertion is true. In September 1987, the Peoples’ National Defence Congress (PNDC) government implemented the New Educational Reforms Programme with the ultimate aim of eradicating the defects in the old educational system. The main objectives of the Reform among other things include: 1. To reduce the period of basic education to 9 years (primary 6 JHS – 3 year). 2. To raise the quality of basic education to give all children some secondary education. 3. To encourage practical programmes which lead to the acquisition of skills for...

Words: 23311 - Pages: 94

Free Essay

Importance of Socialization

... W O M E N ’ S C O M M I S S I O N for refugee women & children Copyright © January 2000 by Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-58030-000-6 Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children 122 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10168-1289 tel. 212.551.3111 or 3088 fax. 212.551.3180 e-mail: wcrwc@intrescom.org www.intrescom.org/wcrwc.html w cover photographs © Rachel K. Jones, Marc Sommers, Sarah Samson, Holly Myers, Anne-Sophie Rosette, International Rescue Committee M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children seeks to improve the lives of refugee women and children through a vigorous program of public education and advocacy, and by acting as a technical resource. The Commission, founded in 1989 under the auspices of the International Rescue Committee, is the only organization in the United States dedicated solely to speaking out on behalf of women and children uprooted by armed conflict or persecution. Acknowledgments The Women’s Commission expresses its sincere thanks to the scores of practitioners who participated in the study and to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, UNHCR (Senior Coordinator for Refugee Children Office) and Dr. Gail Furman for their generous support and commitment to children and adolescents affected by war and persecution. This report was researched and written by Jane Lowicki, Senior Coordinator, Children and Adolescents...

Words: 101041 - Pages: 405

Premium Essay

Its Better to Have Brains Than Beauty

...EDUCATION FOR STREET CHILDREN: A CASE STUDY OF CHETONA BIKASH KENDRA Mohiuddin Ahmad Community Development Library (CDL) INTRODUCTION Background and context Community Development Library (CDL) has been working mainly in the fields of development information and communication since its inception in 1980. CDL was established with a mission to deliver development information to activists and organizations that are working in the broad areas of research, human development and right-based works. Among them are catalysts in different fields including academics, planners, development practitioners, cultural activists, political activists, human rights activists, peace activists, environmentalists, feminists, journalists, researchers, teachers, trade unionists and community leaders. The target audience is engaged in activities intending to change the quality of life of the people, particularly the disadvantaged groups of the society. Mission of CDL CDL believes that 'information' is the critical missing link between ignorance and enlightenment, between poverty and prosperity, between dehumanization and empowerment. The vulnerable people and the communities have little or no access to vital information, particularly information on availability of and access to resources. CDL feels that a wellplanned effort encompassing collection, processing and dissemination of information would help in attaining the required level of awareness in the society and, in turn, would accelerate the process...

Words: 2898 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Bringing Video Gaming and Bd-Live from Being an Entertainment Tool to a Becoming a Distance Learning Tool

...Bringing Video Gaming and BD-Live from being an Entertainment Tool to a becoming a Distance Learning Tool: A Concept Paper 1 Choo-Hong Loo School of Business and Administration ,Wawasan Open University 54, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah 10050 Penang,Malaysia. chloo@wou.edu.my, telephone +604-2180 333 and fax +604-2269 323 Accepted Sub-theme: Technology-enhanced teaching and learning Abstract: To some parents and educationist, video gaming has long been associated with wasting time. The interactivity and connectivity of the sixth and seventh generation video console has resulted in the introduction of the use of motion as input, and IR tracking and wireless controllers and 3D together with connectivity among the different console users in a network. This paper discusses the application on how the sixth and seventh generation video game console can be adapted to deliver vocational instruction through the gaming consoles. Apart from the video game console we would also be discussing on the use of the BD-Live feature on the BluRay disc. Using the case studies of Xbox 360, WII, Play Station 3 and BD-Live, we would like propose how video game and BluRay consoles can be used to deliver vocational education through the distance learning mode. The advent of the internet, motion technology and 3D technology, would mean enhanced educational content can be delivered to students in a more effective, expansive and entertaining manner. The discussion of this paper will benefit the makers...

Words: 3146 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Case Study

...SILC-NET Presents…. NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCILS Hand-outs to Accompany a Needs Assessment Workshop Facilitated by James W. Altschuld, Professor Emeritus The Ohio State University January 9, 2012 Houston, Texas THE CASE OF THE POKEY ELEVATORS Once upon a time, a very responsible manager of a twenty-story office building in New York City was besieged by complaints from his tenants. “The elevators are too slow,” they complained in a chorus. Being a responsible manager, he immediately called an engineering firm to have a look at the problem. During a preliminary discussion, this rough floor plan was drawn. |Office |Corridor |Office | |Office | |Elev. |Office | |Office | | |Office | |Office | |Office | [Description: Four adjacent offices are lined up on the left, a central corridor goes up the middle of the space, and there are four offices on the right with a bank of elevators in front of two of the offices.] After an exhaustive study utilizing stopwatches and traffic flow charts, the engineering firm gave him a proposal for the installation of two newer and faster elevators in the existing shafts. The price tag was $100,000 for an average time gain of 3.35 minutes from top to bottom for each elevator. This...

Words: 2040 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Economics

...In the modern world, as competitions between different countries are more and more severe, many countries place special emphasize on education, which includes primary education, secondary education and higher education. The French revolutionary Danton said more than two centuries ago, "After bread, education." Education, especially elementary education, which makes people are able to read and write, is universally recognized as one of the most fundamental building blocks for human development and poverty reduction (World Bank, 2010). The development of a country can be defined to make nation grow stronger and more harmonious. It is measured with the sustaining improvement in the standard of living and the quality of citizens’ life such as income per capita (per person GDP) growing, medical security consummating, having the right to vote, et cetera. It will be argued in this essay that education is beneficial to different countries’ development in the areas of economics, society, politics and technology. Gary (1964) states that the education level of a country determines a country’s knowledge level and human capital which affect the growth of economy. More specifically, education and training of a country's workers are two major factors in determining the success of the country's economy will do. Furthermore, educated workers who are able to read and write always have more accessible way to master the latest technique and they will be more innovative to come up with many creative...

Words: 3359 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Business

...Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific and North & South America. H&M are a public limited company as they have their shares bought and sold on the stock exchange. With every 1% share you get 1.85% votes. H&M’s aim is ‘To always exceed our customer’s expectation on quality’. This is with both price and product. This means H&M’s purpose is to bring high quality products to their customers. H&M also want to be the most sustainable choice. By becoming sustainable they want to be long term successful. H&M also have a vision ‘that all our operations are in a way that is economically socially and environmentally sustainable’. This and their aim will help to appeal to the eco-friendly customers which means they widen their target market which can help to create a profit. It will also help to have an advantage on their competitors which are stores such as New Look and Topshop. Basingstoke College of Technology (BCOT) are a college located in Basingstoke Hampshire. They offer a variety of vocational courses to the public. BCOT are in the top 50 performing colleges and are in the top 20% of further education college’s success rates. As well as being for school leavers, people at any age can apply to the courses as well as adult learner courses. BCOT are in the...

Words: 693 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Educating Ofenders in Harris County

...yearly. States are diligently working to identify methods to help offenders successfully reintegrate into society. Some initiatives available in Harris County, TX include prison education programs, life and job skills training and counseling services. This paper focuses on the educational opportunities available for offenders in Harris County, TX. The education opportunities are structured to assist offenders with incarceration related factors and attempts to help offenders with successful reintegration with family, the community and society as a whole. I will discuss several educational initiatives available to offenders and how these initiatives correlate to our text. Harris County, TX . On March 12, 2004 the CEA unanimously voted to grant accreditation to Harris County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Education Program. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office became the first county jail in the U.S. to receive the Correctional Education Association (CEA) accreditation for its Inmate Education Program (Albers, 2006:15). This recognition sets Harris County Sheriff’s Office to a high standard to be compared with. The educational facility is located on Crites Street in Harris County which opened in 2003. The Inmate Education Program began in 1973 as a way to offer qualified offenders an opportunity to obtain an education to prepare for life after prison or jail. Since its inception, the program created by the partnership between the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Community College...

Words: 2506 - Pages: 11