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The Stigma Associated with Vocational Education

March 25, 2015 by Nicole Luchansky   

VocationalSkills

Last semester, I had the opportunity to attend the Public Education Forum that took place in State College. The point of the discussion was to determine the best way to structure the education experience in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade. We covered many topics including standardized testing, critical thinking, community service and citizenship. The emphasis was on whether or not schooling should be based on pure development of pedagogical knowledge or whether the focus should be on building inspired and empowered citizens. We were asked questions like, “Should schools focus on the math and sciences, or should the propagation of a creative mindset be fostered?” and “Should students be required to be well-rounded academically, or should schools push to develop students based on their specific abilities?” The participants in my deliberation group were very vocal, and had many interesting experiences and opinions to share. Upon my recollection of the event, however, the part of the discussion that remains vivid in my mind was the discussion on vocational schooling.

For the past several weeks, I have been discussing standardized testing, the pros and cons, and the effects of “teaching to the test.” Schools across the nation are focused on tests that offer them funding and that require students to pass in order to participate in graduation. However, while there are many arguments that I discussed regarding Common Core, and state based tests like the Keystone exams, one very important test that I did not focus on is the SATs (and its friend, the ACTs). These exams have become such a business. Parents pay thousands of dollars to provide intense tutoring in the hopes that their child will perform well on this one exam and have the best opportunity of getting into college. Over the years, this four hour examination has come to weigh as much as four years of high school, if not more, in the college acceptance process. Parents, teachers, guidance counselors and high school administrators focus on preparing students for that one examination, ultimately creating the idea that college is the only valuable route for a student to take.

Speaking from personal experience, the idea of attending a vocational school was never even a thought for me. My older siblings and my parents all attended college, and after years of being constantly bombarded with the idea that high school grades and extracurricular activities are all resume builders to get into college, vocational schooling just seemed ridiculous to me. When my extended family members would ask me if I was planning on going to college, the question baffled me. Of course I was…that’s what everyone who wants a future does, right? No. How wrong I have been in my thought process. College used to be a privilege and now many just view it as the “obvious” path for their life. I want to explore why such a stigma has developed regarding vocational schooling, and unearth whether or not the stigma is based on myth or just unwarranted prejudices.

According to Mark Phillips, a teacher and an educational journalist, over the years, society has been programmed to value white-collar jobs and to look down upon blue-collar jobs. He claims that this unwarranted bias is both “dysfunctional” and “destructive.” By keeping students from where their abilities lie and forcing them to embrace a more “respectable” profession, inspiration and livelihood can be halted leading to a meaningless existence. Also, society needs people to be excellent and skillful in the technical skills, otherwise the economy is going to fall apart.

Before I examine the statistics regarding vocational schooling, I will first examine the history behind vocational schooling. In 1990, the Perkins Act defined vocational schooling as “organized educational programs offering a sequence of courses which are directly related to the preparation of individuals in paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced degree.” Perhaps the wording of this Act has had some effect on the biases associated with vocational education, by referring to degrees other than vocation as “advanced.” This wording could play a role in the public viewing vocational schooling as less respectable than a college education.

Vocational schooling has always been prevalent in European countries like Finland and Germany, but as I previously said, in America the stigma reigns that vocational schooling is for the unequipped and for the trouble-making personality. However, statistically-speaking, vocational schooling could be the better route for many people. America has this idealistic notion that the “land of opportunity” means that college is the only option. That may not be the case. At Mercy Vocational High School in Philadelphia, 60 percent of graduating seniors were offered full-time positions at the end of 2013. While 38 percent of the class went on to college or further vocational schooling, 26 percent entered the workforce. A cosmetologist certificate at this school can earn a student upwards of $27,000 per year, while an electrician certificate can earn a student upwards of $53,000 per year. In this case, college debt is not involved, and the necessary skill force needed to keep the economy of America going, is maintained.

mercy

“This model is very much the model that needs to go across the country, because all students are not of the mindset that they want to go to a four-year college. This gets the options out early, and those students can get right into the field … and become contributors to society.” 

~ Principal Ray Caruthers

I am not saying that everyone needs to attend vocational schooling. However, I do think, upon further analysis, that vocational schooling is a very viable option. Not everyone is equipped for college and that is okay. Stay tuned for my next blog where I will look at a vocational schooling model like Norway and compare it to the United States!

Bidwell, Allie. US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

Phillips, Mark. “Why Should We Care About Vocational Education?” Edutopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

 


4 Comments »

  1. Taylor says:

    My other english class was just discussing this, and I’m really glad to get to hear your opinion on it. You are right, it is definitely not an option people jump for, but the skills students learn in those classes are valuable in multiple facets of life and not many other classes or schools offer skills training like vocational schools do. At my high school the votech school was a huge thing, but i know its not the same everywhere sadly. Great post!

  2. Helena Marie says:

    Unfortunately, I always carried the stigma that vocational school was for the trouble makers and the students who didn’t have a “successful” future. In my high school, there was a program set up that allowed students to attend a vocational school for the full day, or even half of the day. I always thought it would be fun to attend and a cosmetology class, but I always had the mind set that it wouldn’t help me get into college. I know it is so hard to change the mind of the public, but hopefully, people will start to respect vocational schools since they provide students with necessary knowledge to carry out jobs that are needed in our society.

  3. Lillian says:

    In high school, we were given the choice to follow the regular academic path or do what we called “VoTech” and that would be volitional school. Looking back now, I really think volitional school was the better option for a lot of students. It teaches them a specific skill that makes them extremely valuable in the society. Compared to students that took the regular academic path, kids in volitional school are getting more real-time experience in the workplace. I completely agree with you that this is a possibility for many students to explore and potentially excel in a given field.

  4. Lisa Keim says:

    I think vocational schooling is definitely a less respected option in the United States, but I’m not really sure why. The skills that these schools teach are extremely important, and we need someone to be able to do them. It doesn’t make sense for people to look down at those who attend these schools, and then demand the service they provide. At my high school, maybe 2 of my class of 520 went to a vocational school, but I’m sure a lot of people would be much happier there than at college if they had only felt it was a good option.

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