MOVING FORWARD WITH ADVANCED EDUCATION

THE PAST

Much has changed in the last fifty years in our educational system. Prior to the early 70s there were four-year colleges and a few junior colleges. College was for the middle class. With the establishment of our community college system, many new young people could enter college at lower cost. No room and board costs to pay, just tuition.

Since that time, costs have escalated and colleges have been allowed to take their own paths. Those paths have followed the course of least resistance. There was not enough consideration of guiding students into majors relevant for a positive future. Therefore, we have college graduates who are underemployed and often loaded with large debt.

Over the years, our public schools have been guiding young people to college, often when that is not the best for a particular student. If a student does not follow a collegiate course, he has often been left to drift through high school with no direction or the needed skills to be successful in life.

CHANGING TIMES

In Virginia, for a few years now, students have been required to take the second year in a skill program if they are not on the college track. The problem with that is this - if a student hasn’t found an interest by the junior year, they often have given up. They either drop out or go through the motions at school.

In our region, with Growth and Opportunity (GOVA), a better plan was devised. Instead of waiting for high school, we are introducing a half dozen programs that start in the sixth grade with such things as welding, machining, 3D printing, medical, agriculture, construction, and computer skills that can be built on throughout middle and high school.

These are valuable skills that can lead to certification by graduation or with some community college training. Some students are waking up to the value of this training and forgoing four-year colleges.

For years, many of our four-year colleges have grown complacent about students’ needs. Because loans have been easy to attain, they have made little effort to control costs. Students are learning they can have a good life by learning skills without running up a huge debt. It is better to realize this earlier.

We love to hear from you! You can reach us at [email protected], 434-374-5129 or P.O. Box 332, Clarksville, VA 23927.



Headline from local news:

Store assistant fights off assailant with a labeling gun.

Police are now looking for a man with a price on his head.