“Bring back Vo-Tech” and “Not everyone needs to go to college—some people would be better in the trades.”
These are two comments I often hear when I speak about Gifts that Conflict with School™, The Myths of Education™, or Race to Nowhere.
Now, those of you who have been on my calls or in my workshops know that I fully agree not everyone needs to go to college, and especially not immediately after high school. I also agree that Vo-Tech is valuable. It’s just that Vo-Tech is not the only option for students in The Bottom 80% of the class. Setting up a two-track system, where one group is college–bound and the other is trade-bound is an outdated idea.
Students in the bottom of the class are well-suited to where the economy is heading in the future, including fields such as entertainment, design, high-technology, energy, and others. Sure, some students may decide that they would like to pursue traditional vocational careers, but high school is not the time to slot them into that decision.
I’m all for bringing back Vo-Tech classes. They benefit students at all levels. Personally, I loved learning to sew in Home Ec – and continued to enjoy making (simple) skirts, curtains, and jackets (with snaps so that I didn’t have to do a buttonhole) for years after. I loved using a jigsaw to cut my (rather pathetic) turtle-shaped cutting board in shop class. While there was no chance anyone would ever give me a job in either of these pursuits, they absolutely added to my joy of learning, my sense of mastery and my flow.
I realize that Vo-Tech now includes more technology than when I was in school, which is a wonderful addition. Many students would love to use their minds, hands and hearts in new ways. They’d love to be more creative in school. So, I agree: bring back Vo-Tech. Just don’t decide now, based on school performance, that some kids are trade-bound and others are destined for the new economy.