More school bashing
Or is it more Big Apple bashing? Both, of course, but in another sense not really. Obviously, this CBS report that 80% of graduates from New York City high schools need remedial classes in the three Rs before they can start on credit courses in community college is an indictment of New York City public schools. But there are two nuggets embedded in the story that inspire a bit of hope. One is that the community college system hasn't caved in to what must be considerable pressure to dumb down the entry-level credit courses so that they include material that ought to have been taught in high school. The other is that the community colleges apparently have a system for quickly teaching the kids what they missed in high school, so we know it can be done. We just don't know why the high schools can't do it, at least for kids motivated enough to seek additional education after they've finished high school.
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Well, clearly a huge part of the problem is that community colleges are relieved of those who don't have the motivation to seek education. Half the trouble with high school is the bad environment created by people who really don't want to be there -- and thus motivate a culture of shrugging off the work, mocking the teachers, interrupting the class, and generally setting a social example that the cool and righteous way to be is to treat the whole educational process with disrespect.
If you get rid of that weight, it's not that hard to educate the people who do want to learn. They want to learn!
Problem is, what do you do with the riff-raff?
I hear ditch digging is good work. Keeps the hands busy and out of trouble. Puts a paycheck in the hands....
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We just don't know why the high schools can't do it, at least for kids motivated enough to seek additional education after they've finished high school.
One reply is that a substantial proportion of high school grads who go on to community colleges lacked the motivation to study when in high school.
As a result, they ended up in community colleges. Granted, there are good students who go co community colleges for financial reasons, who could have gained admission to a four year school. But they are the ones who don't need remedial work in college.
If our youth are unmotivated to make something of their lives, then perhaps they are too damn comfortable.
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