Earlier this week, I attended a lecture at the American Enterprise Institute delivered by Charles Murray, author of Real Education Four Simple Truths Four Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality.  His lecture was thought-provoking and I took quite a bit away, enough to buy his book to read further about what Murray has to say about school reform. In a nutshell, here it is…too many people are going to college, and for most it is a waste of time. I am still mulling over how I feel about this. But, here are a few of thoughts about college, opportunity, and the like:

1. Schools and society are doing young people a disservice by ramming the college prep track down their throats. It is okay to say that not everyone is college-bound… those shouldn’t be dirty words.

2.We must not only educate youth to their full potential, but also help them identify their passion how to make a living at it.

3. Schools must do a better job at providing a full-liberal arts education to all students and a better job at preparing those students who are bound for four-year institutions.

With 1/3 of college freshman not graduating, but instead leaving college with thousands of dollars in loans, perhaps the college goal is not for all. Here is what Murray has to say about it:

First, we … set up a single goal to represent educational success, which will take four years to achieve no matter what is being taught. We … attach an economic reward to it that seldom has anything to do with what has been learned. We … urge large numbers of people who do not possess adequate ability to try to achieve the goal, wait until they have spent a lot of time and money, and then deny it to them. We … stigmatize everyone who doesn’t meet the goal. We … call the goal a “BA”.

I am not saying that we give up on high standards and achievement for students. But, we need to be realistic and set high school students on a path for success. Murray says 90% of guidance counselors tell kids to go to college instead of pointing them toward certifications, trade or technical schools or other educational programs that hone their talents and skills. That doesn’t seem right to me. If kids had teachers, counselors, parents, and other trusted adults presenting them with options other than college, would dropout rates decline? Would the idea of staying in school become more relevant?