Quote:
Originally Posted by DuckieTigger
Apprentice system? Oh you mean the hands on trade schools? After 10th grade you may drop out of school, continue with "extended high school" (either to 12th or 13th grade, depending on state) or go to a trade school to learn in theory and practice a skilled profession (e.g. welder, mechanic, craftsman, mason, ...). 10th grade mandatory school is comparable to US 12th grade high school. Interestingly "high school" in the US has nothing to do with higher education nor preparation for it. In Germany the "extended high school" ends with a diploma called "Abitur" that is pretty much acceptable equivalent as an International Baccalaureate degree. That is what I did, plus some years in university before immigrating to the US.
I agree, the US is in desperate need of more trade schools similar to what Germany does. And paid for with taxes. But that is pushing it a little.
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Let's not go into the whole paid by political argument here.
The US use to have a lot more business schools, trade schools and the like and probably should move back into that model. Really, not everyone needs to go to a 4 year college and there aren't really that many jobs where the work demands such an education. Someone with a two year degree from DeVry can do just as good of a job in a lot of junior programmer or operations tasks.
I suspect that a critique of the US educational system would quickly devolve into a political discussion. Ideal, one should be able to graduate from high school with the skills to step into the work place.