Both of my parents were educators. After 4 decades teaching the great unwashed, they were of the opinion that we waste a lot of time and money trying to educate children beyond their ability.
They were of the opinion that at some point in their educational career, every child hits a “wall” where no additional effort will result in further understanding. They thought that it would be better to then direct those children towards careers for which they would have an aptitude, like a trade. Too many children were forced onto a college track, which wasted money and frustrated the student.
Parents were the real problem. They always insisted that Little Bobby was a genius and that the teachers just were inept (which was probably sometimes true). Mom and Dad just didn’t want to face the fact that their precious child was best suited to be a plumber.
Well....A plumber’s **assistant**. ( maybe)
Certified plumbers are smart. They need to be well grounded in basic arithmetic , have superior problem solving abilities, and have a high level of reading skills. The training program is rigorous. Besides the technical skills, there are also many laws and building codes to learn and master, and they have demanding licensing exams to pass.