COLLEGE GRADUATE IS THE ONLY WAY 10/6/07

It seems that the only way to make a living in this country to day is to go to college. That is what all the people with any leadership in this country is raving about. Politicians are trying to make hay with it by promising more and more educational opportunities for all. There are all kinds of loans, grants, work-study programs and scholarships than you can shake a stick at. Of course there are no guarantees for jobs only excuses for there being no jobs because the politicians who went along before failed to provide training or educational opportunities for students in the past. A circle that is not going to be broken as long as so much importance is placed on going to college. They seem to forget the word graduate until the jobs available idea comes forth. Only about 25% of freshman graduate from college. Wonder why? Put the blame where it belongs, the Secondary Schools. Who decided that Secondary Schools existed to provide each of its students with an education for entering College. I was taught when I went to College that the main training the high school was to provide was a general education and not a College Prep. Education. Those that showed College ability were to be guided in that direction. When I began to teach it wasn’t but a few years that the politicians began using going to College as a tool for elections. The Colleges paid their Presidents on enrollment numbers and they began recruiting like the Army. I made a statement that if we kept up one day there would be Masters Degrees for Hamburger making and a Big Mac would be thirty five dollars because the person making them would have a masters in “Big Mac”. I was frowned on something awful by some members of the legislature for making such an outlandish statement.

The present way of students attending college an being paid their money before proving they can or will do the College level work is insane. Each student should be on One Year probation. He or She should have to prove a years desire for college or what ever the money is being used for before the College is paid. The institution is really paying after the fact. If the student fails or quits he or she must repay the money.

Lets look at the facts of life as it stands in America to day. I have twin boys with about the same academic ability. One doesn’t mind to work as much as the other. One has College degree in pharmacy and one did not go to College but rather went to the trade school in West Monroe, became a Journeyman Electrician and today owns his own Electric Energy Management Company and I think they make about the same amount of money. Way more than I made at two jobs at one time.

With a piece of paper saying you are smart a person gets a good job. Its pay varies with other jobs. But one thing is for sure, it has caused a big problem with illegal immigration. No one either in Industry or Government admits it but the labor force in this country is like the Highways and Bridges, Education, Airlines, (transportation in general) Health, (just look at the fat folks) and about every thing else in our Country is in a mess and none knows what to do about it. Gather up every one and send them to College I guess.