Time to write off public education?

[bobman0330]

As we all know, the US public school system is, by and large, a disgrace. The degree to which US high school graduates lag behind those of other countries is heavily publicized. The sources of the problems are intractable.

My question is what would happen if we just accepted that our public schools suck and moved on? At this point in time, the number of people needing exactly a quality high-school education is shrinking. With the decline of manufacturing and related jobs, more people are moving into either high-skilled jobs requiring higher education or service jobs requiring little in the way of education.

Of course, even if that's the direction we're moving in, our public schools are still poorly suited for their task. The big problem I see is that inequality in public education leads to inequality in higher education. But I think our education dollars would be better spent if we realized the overall uselessness of high school education in modern America and adapted ourselves to that reality.

[JuntMonkey]

I've thought for a while that school as we have it in the US is a huge waste. College is a 4 year vacation that makes a 40+ hour work week all the more depressing when you transition. Better off for society if we just learn what we need to learn and start earning 3 years earlier. I know you were talking about high school, but the same principles apply.

[elwoodblues]

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As we all know, the US public school system is, by and large, a disgrace.

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I love this forum sometimes.

[ojc02]

I really think HS students should often consider a vocational program rather than regular HS. Of course the government monopoly on education would have to be removed too...

[Dan.]

I [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] government monopolies.

[Poofler]

It's not much of a monopoly. You can homeschool or send your kids to a private school. If you want a free education (yes, yes, your taxes pay for schools in part) government will give it to you. The monopoly part is in dictating the regulations competing schools must follow.

I never really looked at HS as four years of relevant learning. It just seems like a place to park immature kids who don't know what they want to do with their lives. I think enrolling 14 year olds in vocational programs is generally too young to get that specific. I honestly wouldn't get rid of HS. I'd probably make it a little more Euro (some countries anyway) and direct kids to different HSs based on aptitudes at 14. Liberal artsish HSs/Science Heavy HSs/etc.

[Osprey]

It is odd that public school schooling is a problem in this country, but we lead the world by far at the university level. I guess if our high school graduates stink, the world has plenty of people to send to our universities.

[mosdef]

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As we all know, the US public school system is, by and large, a disgrace.

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Compared to what?

[Utah]

[ QUOTE ]
As we all know, the US public school system is, by and large, a disgrace. The degree to which US high school graduates lag behind those of other countries is heavily publicized. The sources of the problems are intractable.

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How do you know it is the schools that are the problem? Maybe the problems are societal?

fwiw - My 2 girls go to a city public school and it is outstanding.

[natedogg]

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It is odd that public school schooling is a problem in this country, but we lead the world by far at the university level. I guess if our high school graduates stink, the world has plenty of people to send to our universities.

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The solution is contained in your observation. What is different about who universities work vs. how public k-12 works? Note that we have the worlds best public universties, not just private ones. Parents don't make the same compaints about universities that they do about k-12.

Identify what is the difference between these two systems and you probably have your solution for how to make k-12 better.

natedogg