Stephanie Fehr - Blog 6

Are vocational trades really that bad??

I found the first portion of this chapter to be quite frustrating, as it was obviously written from one viewpoint. This section of the chapter described how many students who come from low income households tend to be placed in applied streams rather than academic streams (168). Although I do believe that in some ways they are definitely being placed at a disadvantage, I also believe that the writers of this textbook failed to take into consideration those who have done quite well for themselves with a vocational career (sometimes better than those in the professional field). I believe that education is important, and I believe that everyone should be given equal opportunity, however, a university education is not the only way in which one can enhance their overall knowledge and skill level. I come from a family where neither of my parents, nor any of my aunts and uncles, have a university degree. Yet I grew up in a middle class home where I was always provided for, and had access to a good education. I am not trying to make myself sound superior, however, it is obvious that the writers were referring to socioeconomic status as they wrote this chapter. Therefore, if socioeconomic status is in fact correlated to the amount of education one receives, I would have grown up in a very different household. Vocational trades require much skill, creativity, and hard work, and I believe that it is ignorant to think otherwise.

Further into the chapter, the subject of dress codes within schools is brought up (175). This reminded me of my own schooling experience, as I was restricted from wearing things such as shorts, tank tops, and even earrings. This was because I attended a private Christian school that was run by Mennonites, however, no teacher could ever explain to us why the earring rule was in existence. I am a Christian, I have read the Bible, and I have never once found a passage condemning earrings. I suppose this is an example of private schools having the ability to enforce any rules that they choose, even if it does not have any relevance to the actual religion that it is following.

I appreciated the fact that the chapter made mention of the option of homeschooling (188). At this point I am unsure of whether or not I would be an advocate for it, however, I believe that there are many benefits involved. I enjoy the fact that the parent can cater to their child's specific learning needs. As for the social aspect, there are many home school groups available now, so that children can still be socialized and interact with other children on a regular basis.

Question: What is your opinion of homeschooling?