“Very interesting study...long term, randomized, and quite expensive...and somewhat surprising results. Test scores didn’t improve, but apparently the young men and society benefited from this sort of education.”
I think our current universal college prep model is flawed. A lot of kids aren’t cut out for that. I’m a strong believer in more vocational education. We need plumbers too.
I agree totally, and so would most high school students I know.
Remember the old joke. The difference between a Vascular surgeon and a Plumber
House calls
The French public school system is setup the way you thought about. At the equivalent of our 8th grade the students take a test that helps determine if they are to go to Academic high school or Trade school. The ones that go to the Academic school go on to university for free. The Trade school kids graduate at 18 as a skilled laborer.
What messed up our post education here was that the past three decades the schools and parents have been beating it into their kids head that the only way to be successful is to get a degree. Of course now with way to many kids going to college, to be successful you need a MBA. The undergrad degree has been diluted and we are short the vocational workers. Any surprises?
As far as students with bad parenting. Either put them in subsidized boarding schools or let them rot and fund good riot gear for the police.The current going of mixing the three levels of students in a class only ends up bringing down the good kids.