Students forced to have life plan as graduation requirement

[Aya]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/0 ... 56458.html

Quote:While schools across the country continue to balance budgets and consider different methods to make their students college-bound, Oregon representatives may have come up with their own solution to get students ready for the future.

In an attempt to increase Oregonians' employment options, the Oregon House of Representatives recently passed a bill that requires high school students to demonstrate a clear path for future education or job opportunities before they can graduate.

House Bill 2732, which was approved by the Oregon House on April 25, entails a student must complete and submit an application for a post-secondary education institution or apprenticeship program, enlist in the military, or attend an apprenticeship orientation in order to receive a diploma.

Beaverton Democrat Rep. Tobias Read sponsored the proposal, saying it will encourage students to consider career opportunities and think about their futures, reports the Oregon Daily Emerald:
"This bill does not intend to tell anyone what choice is right for them. It merely aims to prompt the consideration of those options and encourage students to think about what's important to them."

According to the The Oregonian, the bill passed 33 to 26, with about one-third of Republicans and two-thirds of Democrats voting in support.

Rep. Peter Buckley, a supporter of the bill, pointed out that Oregon's high schools aren't effectively preparing its students for the current job market, reports the Oregon Daily Emerald.

Buckley shared a story of a visit to a local high school several years ago where he surveyed advanced placement students in regards to their college futures:
"25 out of 28 AP students weren't applying for college...my heart broke at that point. This bill is a common sense bill...it will give (students) a push to fill out that application and say 'What's next for me?'"

Rep. Mike Schaufler, D-Happy Valley, disagrees, reports the The Oregonian:
"This is not about education. It's just one more piece of paper. It's one more hoop we're making people jump through to get the diploma they have already earned."

Parent Kevin Taggart expresses similar sentiment, reports reports KEZI:
"I don't think it's the job of the schools to force kids to think about their future. It's the job of the schools to teach the kids to be successful in their future."

But deciding where to draw the line between parent and teacher accountability is a tricky subject. Trying to define who has more power and influence over a child's academic success, and who should have more of a say in regards to decisions about the future of education, is a debate heard around the nation.

One student, Gina Tilton, realizes the possible benefits the bill could have in cases where parents aren't as involved, reports Central Oregon's ABC News:
"There's so many kids I know that parents aren't involved, you know? At least out in our own community. There's a lot of kids struggling on their own. They're worried about tomorrow. So, to help them learn about their future and have jobs later on would be a good idea."

Some critics argue this added requirement would just be an unnecessary and unfair obstacle given college application fees; it costs $50 to apply to a school within the Oregon University System schools, reports KEZI.

Read offers a solution: Applying to Portland Community College is free for all students. However, despite the fact that community colleges typically cost less when compared to state universities and private institutions across the United States, enrollment rates and class sizes are still factors to be considered in today's education climate.

Dana Haynes, Communications Director for Portland Community College, said that enrollment has been up at all of Oregon's community colleges, reported Oregon Capitol News:
"A lot of community colleges, especially the smaller ones, are at or above their own capacity and couldn't really take a lot more students."

As students, parents and representatives continue to weigh in on the debate, the bill heads to the Oregon Senate for consideration. If passed, the conditions will take effect July 1, 2012, and, depending on the bill's success, could encourage school districts in other states to implement similar polices.

I've already had it out with an educator in the comments section. My user name is Ayla87 if you want to take a look for yourself.

But to reiterate what I said: It's not the schools business what plans, if any a student has after graduation. A student has just as much a right to not go to college, as he does to enroll right after high school. This legislation is just another push by bleeding hearts (see the bold portion of that quote) to dictate the lives of other people and keep them institutionalized for at least another four years.

My guidance counselor tried this same shit with me. She called my mom one day because she was 'concerned' for my future. In reality I was refusing to apply to college or sign up for any electives my senior year. I walked into her office the next day and told her that I didn't give a damn about her concern and that she should mind her own fucking business.

[Faby]

I'm so-so on this one.

It's a good idea to try to make people think about their future more, but forcing them to do so is a lousy idea.

Once again, this is proof of how school systems, while trying to reach for guidance, fall short into coercion.

[SaintVicious]

O god the seething rage of being told what to do.
If someone doesnt want to go to college then who fucking cares let them do what they want this is supposed to be a free country, but thats been gone along time ago.

[Crow]

The country is free, the people are not, I guess..

[Psychoqueen]

Good idea to try and get people to think about the future, bad idea to force them to.

[SoulRiser]

Oh lol. A life plan? When you're still in high school? I took a year off after school 'cause I had no idea what kind of job/career/slavery path I wanted to go into would prefer to living with my parental units forever. This is more likely to encourage people to stick with something they don't particularly like ('cause they already signed up for it), rather than encourage them to think about what they actually want. It's a big world out there, and school sucks horribly at representing the vast options that actually exist. It takes time to figure out what's going on out there and it seems they want to suck up as much of everyone's free time as they possibly can.

[StaticSky]

The future is nice to think about, but they have no right to force these life plans and shove it down their throats. I'm all for encouragement but making demands on what I should do with my life is just plainly and simply wrong.

And what's wrong with not having a clue to what I'm supposed to do after high school? I think it's the best kind of soul-searching, and you get to do what you love to do, not some job you clearly have no interest in.

[SH☮TGUNHEⒶRT]

There is no way i want to go to college.

[Reptorian]

School often encourage students to develop life plans and actually have them to pursue it as observed by the American people who is into the belief of the American Dream which has been started after the early 1900s while it becomes more widespread after wwii. It's not only the school that provokes this idea to be implemented, but many parents who believes into the American dream has been another force that have been brought upon to get this idea implemented after many years. Over years, people have been admitting that the school teachers' ideas aren't in the right direction and even teachers themselves are moving into a new direction on how to treat their students (observation based on experience) which results in having some of those in position of powers trying to coerce students into actually caring about what's goes on in the past, present, and the future. What is being observed in recent times are the clashes of opinions regarding the school system while apathy starts to rise even though the students have shown no real objections to the school system.

The issues that this idea may cause is the fact that it may creates conflicting emotions for students who absolutely feel mortified by the effect of society and the coercion of the school system. In the future, some will feel the life plan that they encourage will not work out due to the uncertainty of the future, economical issues, and the fact that it may creates social coercion that may conflicts with the individual's desire to follow certain ways of working out through the times flying by. It is redeemed as unconstitutional because it violates the right for the individual to have the right to choose to be silent or to express oneself under their own consent. The more ideas that the schooling system creates for attempting for the american dream to be enforced throughout the future, the more apathy and concerns will it creates for the general population of the future due to the conclusions that may be brought by previous sentiments.

[psychopath]

SoulRiser Wrote:Oh lol. A life plan? When you're still in high school? I took a year off after school 'cause I had no idea what kind of job/career/slavery path I wanted to go into would prefer to living with my parental units forever. This is more likely to encourage people to stick with something they don't particularly like ('cause they already signed up for it), rather than encourage them to think about what they actually want. It's a big world out there, and school sucks horribly at representing the vast options that actually exist. It takes time to figure out what's going on out there and it seems they want to suck up as much of everyone's free time as they possibly can.

This. +11111111

[HeartofShadows]

My memory must be slipping but I remember Psychopath turning pro school once he got a job.

Well on topic having a guideline is nice but having a detailed plan is very pointless as the future is very damn unpredictable and decisions that have an effect on someone's life shouldn't be part of some bullshit assignment.

[psychopath]

HeartofShadows Wrote:My memory must be slipping but I remember Psychopath turning pro school once he got a job.

Lolwut, no way. I only became non-emo, I still hate school and I always will. People think kids hate school cause they're kids but I can still see a difference between myself and people who used to love school.

[HeartofShadows]

psychopath Wrote:Lolwut, no way. I only became non-emo, I still hate school and I always will. People think kids hate school cause they're kids but I can still see a difference between myself and people who used to love school.

You were emo?
I remember you being angry and a bit spiteful but never the level of pity and emo I see in voices in my head.

[Geeksta]

Those are super-emoes. He might have been emo by normal standards, but not by the standards of SS.

[flann]

I do not support.

I do support making them think about the future, but it seems #1 Stalkerish #2 A prediction of a changing life #3 Enforced

[Geeksta]

flann Wrote:I do not support.

I do support making them think about the future, but it seems #1 Stalkerish #2 A prediction of a changing life #3 Enforced

This