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Comments

[J.K. Lee]

Coming from a family where education was just going to school because it is required by the state, having uncommitted and uncaring "guidance" councilers, I ending high school saying what do I do now?

Many uneducated (unaware) parents rely on the system to help their children make choices about current and future education beacuse they do not know enough about what to do themselves. Some even consider education having a starting and stopping point, when in fact education and LEARNING is life long.

A plan from day one is critial. With all of the tools we have today regarding testing for skills, personality, etc we can give learners more direction and help them find their direction.

Schools without such tools for ALL learners put the entire society at risk. Luckly, I chose a pen, pencil, and books and put down my gun (but that is another story) because of the moral character instilled and provided by my natural and extended family.

I was adrift but was washup upon the shores of education at a time when entering college was seen as a NATURAL thing to TRY to do and if you failed at least you tried.

Just like any other goal we set for ourselves we must start with the end in mind.

For many (young and old) early education is not looked at as a goal, mission, or objective but a task to be completed with no end result other than to "get out of school".

Under such circumstances where there is no real understanding of what opportunities learning can open to participants or what the next steps are or can be, we find ourselves in our cuurent situation.

In learing a person must have a reason to excel or have a personality type that seeks perfection.

From my experience learning must be self motivating, requires strategy, planning, and entered into with the end in mind.

That being said, let's remember to not limit our learning discussion to standardized intellectual pursuits.

We still need auto techs, HVAC techs, and other vocational skills to make the world go round.

If we help people find what they are good at and have skill sets for, and direct them towards a legal and rewarding use of these gifts, with a plan or strategy to get to a goal or target - the world will be a better place.