Vocational Education Vs Liberal Education Essay

The American free public education system has been and will continue to be an amazing asset for so many of America’s young minds. The ever progressing school system has evolved to fit the modern challenges of the educational world, however, it has fallen short of creating enough opportunities for career-focused education as well as life skills that will be important to life outside the classroom. The current American educational system does not prepare students to be successful adults; by putting an overbearing amount of pressure on attending universities it neglects to provide the routes necessary for students to work towards vocational careers.

Prior to reading this essay, there are two terms that must be understood, liberal and vocational education. The term liberal education is defined by 31-year educator Bill Ryan as, “...an approach that encourages a broad and diverse exposure to

Department of Education is as follows, “Our mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access (U.S. Department of Education).” However, the current education system can be compared to a line from transcendentalist Ralph Emerson's “Self-Reliance”. He is condemning men who conform to societal norms when he writes, “He is supported on crutches, but lacks so much support of muscle (Emerson).” In all actuality, this also addresses the modern man who is graduating grade school or college, by thinking of the crutches as a metaphor to the education that gave him the knowledge to pass a standardized test like the ACT or SAT. The support of muscle can be seen as the natural skills needed to succeed in life that was not given but had to be earned through training, much as muscles in the body are. A student can never be truly successful on an educational crutch, they must develop the muscular skills of a trade to be successful