In the October 30 edition of "Business Week" there are two very interesting articles on the future of America. Both are, as you might think, pretty sobering.

In an article titled "Why America Needs an Economic Strategy" the author lays out a strategy for a positive future of America. When it comes to education his thoughts are as follows:

"A final strategic failure is in many ways the most disconcerting. All Americans know that the public education system is a serious weakness. Fewer may realize that citizens retiring today are better educated than the young people entering the workforce. In the global economy, just being an American is no longer enough to guarantee a good job at a good wage. Without world-class education and skills, Americans must compete with workers in other countries for jobs that could be moved anywhere. Unless we significantly improve the performance of our public schools, there is no scenario in which many Americans will escape continued pressure on their standard of living. And legal and illegal immigration of low-skilled workers cannot help but make the problem worse for less-skilled Americans."

This fact, quoted often, that the general educational levels of the coming generations is declining, leads to another article in the same issue on what may be part of the problem.

In "Let's End Adolescence," an author, who I will name later as I think his thoughts need to be heard first, suggests that "Adolescence" did not exist prior to the 19th century, and it should be "declared a failure."

"The proof is all around us. 19 percent of 8th graders, 36 percent of 10th graders and 47 percent of 12th graders say that they have used illegal drugs. One of every four girls has a sexually transmitted disease. And American students are learning at a frighteningly slower rate than Chinese and Indian students."

He then goes on to cite Franklin, John Quincy Adams, and Daniel Boone as examples of people who had taken on "adult responsibilities" by the age of 16.

While technology has changed since the 1700's, being assigned as the "Translator to the Ambassador to Russia at the age of 16 (Adams) wouldn't require any different skill set today than it did in the late 1700's."

"Adolescence was invented in the 19th century to enable middle-class families to keep their children out of sweatshops. But it has degenerated into a process of enforced boredom and age segregation that has produced one of the most destructive social arrangements in human history, consigning 13 year-old males to learning from 15 year-old males.

"By trapping poor people in bad schools, with no work opportunities and no culture of responsibility we have left them in poverty, in gangs, in drugs, and irresponsible sexual activity."

I am not sure that many of us have thought about Adolescence in this light but the observations are not unfounded.

If this is a valid observation how can we do something "good," and at the same time reduce the cost of education?

His suggestion is that we establish, as there was in Franklin's time, a valid apprentice program that would make learning not only valuable, but financially rewarding, to those who are finding school "boring."

He suggests that "this would revolutionize our poorest neighborhoods and boost our competitiveness."

He concludes with, "Once we decide to engage young people in real life, doing real work, earning real money, we can transform being young in America. And America can become more competitive in the process."

The author suggests that we abandon public school beyond the 10th grade, what a savings in money this would be, and place kids in either an apprenticeship or academic, for those who are interested, track. In reality this is already happening with those who are interested in an academic future with programs such as the Cambridge, International Baccalaureate programs, Early College, and Running Start offered in our high schools.

What we don't have is a program that leads to a living wage job for the students who are "bored."

Whoa! This would require a real sea change in our thoughts about raising kids. We would have to assume that "work" was in their future!

Many parents, and their children, seem to think that their children will be able to avoid this process, and avoid any rigorous learning experiences, as well.

This leads to the costly "American High School" which is almost unique in the world. Only in Canada does something like the American High School exist. Elsewhere secondary schools are, as one local administrator suggested, "purposeful."

Just think what this would do for the future of our country if we had a new generation of functionally competent youth who by the age of 18 were able to earn a living wage due to having a skill set that beats "Hamburger University!"

Lower crime rates, smaller jails, less welfare, etc. could be possible. Taxpayers take note!

OK, who was this "thinker?"

A person that you will either recognize with distinction or distain, Newt Gingrich. He often tells it like it is.

Source: federalwaynews.net/articles/2008/11/28/interact/columnists/column01.txt