Post High School Education: Are Students Getting the Training They Need

As the students who graduated from college last spring reach the six month post graduation milestone and start having to pay back their loans, student loans seem to be a major topic now.    The loans are only one aspect of this problem, however.

Are we counseling students correctly before they graduate from high school?  Parents and school personnel should consider a minimum of the following questions:

What are the students interests and abilities?  What kind of career opportunities are available with these?  How would you expect these careers to fare in the future?  Will there be jobs available when the student finishes training or education in these careers?  What kind of a salary can be expected in these jobs?  What is the maximum the student should borrow for this type of career - determined before the education begins?  What type of school would be best for developing the career and which school?  What will the costs be at this college/career training facility?  Can the school provide proof that the majority of their students complete the program and find employment when they're done?

Just listening to people at Occupy Wall Street it quickly becomes obvious that many of the occupiers have chosen college majors (English, art, French, history, etc.) where jobs are scarce.  In addition many have borrowed far more than they can easily repay.  Parents and school personnel should discuss options while in high school.  The student, however, is the one ultimately responsible.  It is not a free ride.  While a four year degree on the average more than pays for itself over a lifetime, an education without corresponding opportunity can be a recipe for a difficult life.

Funding for all levels of education  and the loans that have to be repaid will be left for another day.

I promised at least a partial list of topics tonight.  Here goes:

Is Pre-K Education Necessary?
Rote Learning
Teaching to the Test
Merit Pay for Teachers
How Can We Better Fund Education?
What Provisions Should Be Made for Special Needs Children?
Are Class Sizes Important?
Charter, Private, Religious, Public and Home Schooling
Is there Too Much Testing?
Is There a Shortage of Teachers?
Bullying in our Schools
Technology in the Schools
What is Finland (generally considered the best schooling) Doing Right?
What Part of Education Should Be Handled at Federal, State and Local Levels?
The Role of Parents in the Education of Their Children
School Administration

For tomorrow:  Who Should Be Interested in Education Issues?