Brian D Williams wrote:
>
> >From: Mike Lorrey <mlorrey@datamann.com>
>
> >Even in those days, the poorest who dropped out of school
> >typically did so with an education gained by the 6th grade that is
> >roughly equivalent to the sort of education our teachers impart to
> >our kids today by the 12th grade. Nor do those who are destined
> >for non-degree jobs need to be able to quote Dostoyevsky or Homer.
> >One of the big problems with education today is that vocational
> >training has been removed from many high schools, it is treated as
> >a post-secondary educational course, when prior to public
> >education, kids could drop out of high school with more
> >skills as machinists or draftsmen than many vocational graduates
> >today. Not every kid needs a college prep education, but teachers
> >seem to think they do.
>
> I'm going to disagree with you on this and side with Mortimer
> Adler.
>
> The purpose of a true liberal (in the educational sense) education
> is to create a citizen fit to live in a democracy. I oppose the
> notion of a lesser education thereby deliberately creating an
> underclass.
Well, I expect to change your mind with one question: If a liberal
education is to make a citizen fit to live in a democracy, why is it
that there are more citizens than ever who are completely UNFIT to live
in a democracy, and it is ENTIRELY the fault of the educational system?
>
> And non-degree jobs are scarce and getting scarcer.
Skilled non-degree jobs go begging to be filled, machinists being just
the easiest to point to.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Oct 12 2001 - 14:40:13 MDT