Bring Back Vocational Courses and Schools!

As an Exceptional Children’s teacher, I see students struggle daily with reading, writing, and math.  All of these students have struggled throughout their entire educational career and many of them have been retained at least once.  Because of their struggles in the classroom, many students become more frustrated as they enter high school.  Due to the emphasis placed on reading, writing, and math, these students who struggle are left behind.  Their educational needs are not met and they become frustrated because there are little or no vocational courses offered at their school.  Many students, including E.C. students, are weak academically, but are strong vocationally.  These are the students who can take an engine apart and put it back together, but cannot comprehend a paragraph.  These are the students who would rather work outside all day with their hands than sit in a classroom all day and be taught material that they will never use outside of the classroom doors.  As the students continue to take classes that they do not understand and as their educational needs are not met, student frustration levels continue to increase.  Due to this frustration, many drop out of school and take low paying jobs.

I propose that we increase the number of vocational courses offered in the schools and bring vocational schools back into education.  Currently, our education system places emphasis on preparing students for college so they become future leaders of America.  But let’s face it; not all students are cut out to go to college.  Why not emphasize the strengths of our students instead of emphasizing their weaknesses?  Why not give students opportunities to tap into their strengths and learn a skill or trade that they can use once they graduate high school?   Yes, we need students who are equipped to go to college and become leaders of our country.  But we also need brick masons, plumbers, electricians, and mechanics.  I believe that by offering students more options than the traditional high school route, students would remain in school longer, graduate, and become productive members of society.