SHORT
COMMUNICATIONS 329
No
Surprise Here
By
Roger
Behra
Sooner or later it had to happen, and
the blame can be attached to the counterculture philosophy as it became part of
America’s school systems. It is termed as “unexpected”, but it should not be.
The fact is high school graduates have very poor communication skills; they
cannot write or talk according to acceptable and educated standards. They can
text with the best of them, but do them no good as they enter a college or
university or the job market. There is tremendous skills gap out there in
America.
Employers always look for the same
skills time after time; communication, teamwork, flexibility, and a positive
attitude. None of these can be taught. Everything else can be taught. What
bothers employers the most is not being prepared for the interview and having a
bad attitude.
Then there are the high school graduates
who do not wish to enter the job market. They plan on a collage career first.
That is when another rude awakening takes place when some serious facts become
know: An estimated 1.7 million high school graduates need remedial courses in
math, science, and grammar and composition that lead to eating up time and
money before their four years of college career begins. Considerable time and
money is spent during remedial preparation. In a third the cases it takes six
years to earn a bachelor’s degree. Nearly 20% percent of those entering a
four-year university have to take one remedial course. Some need to take all
three remedial courses. The remedial course most frequently needed is English
grammar and composition.
All of this remedial work is a strong
indication that America’s high schools are far from doing a good job. Just
think of all the high school graduates who do not plan on getting a college
degree but are in need remedial courses to just speak and write well. When it
is all added up, it is very sad commentary on America’s high schools.
It is a sad commentary also and no
coincidence that the U. S. has sunk to very low ranking in the international
standing of testing for academic achievement. The U. S. will never again rank
near the top academically in any kind of special testing. You can take that to
Las Vegas and bet any amount on that.
R. B.
1-1-13