Teacher Says Schooling Focused On Getting Students Into College Isn’t Effective Anymore — 'There Are Too Many People With College Degrees'
The purpose of school should be to learn — not just get into college.
Antonio Guillem | Shutterstock For years, we sent kids to school with one singular goal in mind: get good grades so you can get into a good college and be successful. It was once an effective formula; however, a college degree no longer guarantees a job, so many students today plan to skip higher education altogether. And, according to one teacher, since they don't intend to go to college, students see no reason to put any effort into high school.
The teacher said that schooling focused on getting students into college isn't effective anymore.
In a Reddit post, the teacher shared the concerning results of a grade audit her administration conducted. "Admin made a list of all kids in our school with Ds, and the results are shocking," she wrote. "In the worst grade level, OVER HALF of the kids have Ds and Fs. Around 40% of them have Ds and Fs in three or more of their classes."
This led her to a startling realization. "That means a huge [number] of kids are just choosing NOT TO DO ANYTHING," she said in shock. "A lot of them aren’t even disruptive, they just sit there DOING NOTHING."
She wondered why this was and concluded that it had to do with their waning desire to go to college. Kids today are far less college-motivated because the market is so oversaturated by degree holders. Higher education is also incredibly expensive, and no longer ensures a high-paying job post-graduation.
Since many students do not intend to apply for college, they feel apathetic towards their schoolwork and grades.
They see no reason to strive for As and Bs, since they will not be sending their grades to colleges. However, they fail to realize that there is more to school than securing grades that a college admissions board will like.
"I’m constantly telling them that they should do this stuff, not to do well in school or go to college, but to grow their [expletive] souls and to avoid getting taken advantage of and exploited at every step of their lives," the teacher stressed. "In any case, I honestly think we need to move away from focusing the purpose of school on 'getting good grades so you can get into college.' I don’t think kids are responding [to] this anymore."
College attendance is hitting record lows, and many people no longer believe it is essential for success
PBS News reported that, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, college enrollment decreased by 8% from 2019 to 2022. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that this is the biggest decrease that has occurred since they began keeping records.
Many students today just don't see the value of a college degree and are focusing more on trades. This could lead to labor shortages in key fields, like medicine, law, and education, where we as a society can’t afford for that to happen. Anti-intellectualism also seems to be growing in this country, especially as the current presidential administration attacks the Department of Education.
The teacher who made the Reddit post was concerned that college wasn’t enough to keep students motivated anymore, and it sounds like she’s probably right. If college is no longer a motivating factor, schools will have to find other ways to keep students engaged.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
