“Present and Future Education: A Tale of Two Economies”, Michael Albert addresses the two educational pathways. One pathway of education is individualistic, allowing education to start with the student. This allows students to develop skills and talents and conveys information processing tailored to one specific person. Another pathway is social and contextual. This pathway is designed for society’s benefit and tailors a student’s education, skills and talents to what would best benefit a society. Albert believes approximately 2% of society become an elite class or ruling people. About 18% are those who go through higher education and become administrators. The remaining 80% are left as working class to obey the people in power. Albert considers an alternative for society called “participatory economics” or parecon for short. In this alternative, Albert seeks to complete the four key values of society; solidarity, diversity, equity and self-management while presenting an equality of everyone. In this alternative, people’s pay, merit and earnings are not based on the amount of work done, but how much effort is put into the job (the more dangerous the job or the more effort you put into your job, the more money you will make). Therefore, some people will still make more money than the next person, but it will not be because of chance, birth or social status. In this stance, people’s careers will be what they do best. What is the best way to make sure that someone can perform the job correctly? Specialization and practice will make a person the best for said job.
Similarly, Sharon Otterman’s article in the New York Post titled “City Reconsiders Approach to Bronx Vocational School” mimics pieces of Albert’s book. It seems that a particular vocational school in the Bronx has a very low graduation rate. Because of this percentage (46%) being so low, the city wanted to shut this school down and open a Charter School. However, after observing, the board decided there would not be enough room for the construction portion of the school’s program. The board scrapped the proposal despite the low graduation rate. The concept of vocational schools is to train students for the remedial jobs that do not require higher education, but require specific skills training. This would fit in with Albert’s alternative of to education in which some people are trained to rule while others are trained to work. In this perspective, a student would be trained from a young age if he/she shows signs of talents in a particular field. This would progress specialization in that every person would function at 100% of ability from a younger age. This way, if a person is going to be specialized as a mechanic, focusing on English would not be essential; however, the student would focus more on Mathematics.
In opposition to what Albert wants, if specialization becomes too specific, social classes then become more prevalent. If a certain family always produces mechanics, and another family always produces doctors, you create a social class based on jobs. In Albert’s stance, pay would be based on the level of effort put into a job. Therefore, a mechanic might actually make more money than the doctor. I believe that there needs to be a mixture of both vocation and general education in the schools. General education leads to higher education which provides the doctors, lawyers, teachers and other professionals of the world. Vocational education provides society with mechanics, plumbers, electricians, factory workers and public service workers of the world. All of these examples are important for society to function properly. Without all parts of society functioning properly, society will not function at all. Doctors do not fix someone’s car and mechanics do not perform heart surgery. In the same way, who decides the person who will become the lawyer and who will become the mechanic? Who are those people who judge what profession is better than another and which profession deserves the higher pay and higher social stance.
Available Links
Michael Albert Article
Sharon Otterman Article
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I completly agree with Tifani'a solution to the artical that students need a mix of both vocation and academic education and only then can they decide what type of career they are interested. I believe that part of the educational process should include multiple internships in specific fields that they are interested in starting from highschool. I have never understood why after four years of highschool students enter college and have to do two years of general education requirments again. Once they reach the college level students know where their interests lie. On the job experience is the only way to truley know if you like something.
I believe the perfect example of this mix of vocational and academic education is the Singpore Education. Click on the link above to look at a model of this system that has been research and tested to be more effective than the United States.
Post a Comment