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College is not for everyone. But, education policy loves to say that we are making students "college ready", whatever that really means. We need to focus on giving students certain knowledge and skills, but college ready is not the only focus we should have.
A report I saw today (sorry, can't find link) said that 2.1 million college students are MIA. They were tracking the number of college freshmen, and then the number of graduates. The data is hard to get because there isn't any true data collection. I'm sure everyone knows some students that have not finished college. College isn't for everyone.
College is expensive. If you really don't know what you want to do, should you really spend all that money to "find yourself", or would it be better to work for a while and explore things. Some students are not mature or socially or emotionally ready for college. Some students have interests and job wants that don't require college.
I think we need more career/job training in schools. We need plumbers, electricians, mechanics, and carpenters. They make good money too. We really need skilled machinists in this country. CT has a huge shortage. Engineers I know tell me that their companies can't find enough machinists, and they make very good money.
College is great for some people. It's not for everyone. Schools should not focus on "College Ready", we should focus on "future ready." We should focus on giving students the skills to succeed in college, technical school, apprenticeships, or any job.
Related:
10 Important Skills Students Need for the Future
Cross posted atEducational Technology Guy and viaTwitter. David Andrade is a Physics Teacher and Educational Technology Specialist in Connecticut. He is the author of theEducational Technology Guy blog, where he reviews free educational technology resources for teachers, discusses ways to use technology to improve teaching and learning, and discusses other issues in education.
He is also a professional development trainer and presenter at conferences, helping educators learn new and innovative ways to educate students. He is also a Discovery Education STAR Educator and member of the CT DEN Leadership Council. Disclaimer: The information shared here is strictly that of the author and does not reflect the opinions or endorsement of his employer.
