I didn't know people thought education was UN-important. A free public education keeps children off the streets, teaches them about the world they live in, and prepares them for their futures. Education increases a person's income, reduces poverty, and boosts the economic growth. I did a little bit of "googling" on the subject, and there are people who believe that you should be able to drop out of high school whenever you feel like doing so without consequences. I'll admit that there were things I wasted time learning in high school. I'll probably never have to label the parts of mitosis, find the cosine of angle B, or recite the opening lines of Canterbury Tales. (But I can!) High school, and the 13 years from kindergarten to senior year, teach you more than just textbook material. You learn how to exist as a member of a diverse society and how to handle problems that arise throughout your life. You learn responsibility by having to be on time to class and keeping up with your materials. You learn the value of work ethic by studying and making good grades. You make what will sometimes become lifelong friends. You learn how to think for yourself and how to back up your arguments. You learn what it is you love to do through extracurricular activities and electives, and gain insight to what you can potentially do with your life. Education is more than 2+2=4.
Education from preschool to 12th grade is important. College- not so much. I don't think college is for everyone. If a person isn't willing to work for their grades, and is going to flunk classes because they never attend or never open the textbook-why spend the thousands of dollars on a higher education you're wasting? If you're getting a four year degree at a major university for something you can go to a trade school for two years for and get the same degree, why not do the more economically friendly option? Here's my personal example: All throughout high school I wanted to go to a small, private, christian school, and earn my education degree. I ended up at the University of Memphis. Why? Because an education degree is an education degree. Because it's more than a $15,000 difference between tuition. Because it doesn't matter if I go to Alaska or Rhode Island: education is one of those degrees where the fundamentals are similar if not the same all over the world. There's such a push for going to a 4 year university in public high schools, and I don't think there should be.Students should be told that they have other options besides going hundreds of thousands of dollars into debt if college isn't for them.
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