[Magdalen] Gap year (or more)

[Lynn Ronkainen]

Jim G> That was the opinion when the "finish high school" movement, complete 
with
> requirements to get school-approve "working papers" to get a job (even 
> after school ones) before age 18 became de rigeur during the Depression.
> > The ultimate goal then was to take kids who didn’t have families to 
> > support out
> of the workforce during a time of high unemployment.

along a different line JIm, that I was reminded of with your info about the 
depression... a dear friend who would be 105 if she was still alive once 
told me when I commented how many white middle class kids never graduate 
from high school (not to say they do not go on to do other things or even 
college, but...) that the idea of HS graduation for all was strictly a post 
WW2 phenomenon which included migrations into cities and suburbs and the 
changing American life.  Reminded once again how small we can sometimes 
think about things 'always being a certain way'... even if 'always' is only 
one's own lifetime.

Jim G> Things are different now -- the only private-sector good jobs are in 
information
> and information technology -- and these will be closed to anyone without a 
> reasonable college education.

And I would greatly disagree with you here Jim... many IT folks are educated 
in HS now  or such wiz kids that they make their own way and rules. Not all 
of them, but enough that it is apparent... and when they rise in the ranks, 
they will be open to giving others who may have followed their path an 
opportunity.

Lynn

My email has changed to: houstonKLR at gmail.com

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Jim Guthrie" <jguthrie at pipeline.com>
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2015 2:21 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Gap year (or more)

> From: L Ronkainen
>
>>I think that post WW2 when the government educated so many GIs with the
>>GIBill and changed the course of their world and our country, the idea of
>>college for all became a goal. Never completely realized or necessary, 
>>IMO,
>
> That was the opinion when the "finish high school" movement, complete with 
> requirements to get school-approve "working papers" to get a job (even 
> after school ones) before age 18 became de riguer during the Depression.
>
> The ultimate goal then was to take kids who didn’t have families to 
> support out of the workforce during a time of high unemployment.
>
> Things are different now -- the only private-sector good jobs are in 
> information and information technology -- and these will be closed to 
> anyone without a reasonable college education.
>
> Failing to complete college consigns people to the bottom of the economic 
> ladder going forward.
>
> And I'm not willing to think there's any obligation to provide public 
> support for persons who decide that college isn’t necessary for them. 
> Consigning people to poverty is not a reasonable thing to do I think.
>
> Cheers,
> Jim