Plastic Products & Education?
The workforce is an incredible collection of once boys and girls who now dominate our all important financial sector. As members of the workforce, come in all shapes, sizes, and appearances. We’ve all got our own goals and aspirations. Logistically speaking, however, we all share more in common than our choice to work. We share somewhat similar upbringings, and, like it or not, we were all once students - students of subjects far and wide.
Well, in all seriousness, if you grew up in America, you might agree that our range of subjects was actually rather emaciated. It was, and in most cases, it still is.
Why a blog entry on education, one might ask? Fortunately (or unfortunately), there is a direct correlation between the direction of our American financial market and the way our children are taught, and, maybe even more importantly, what they are taught. It makes good sense that our present day children should be raised in a manner that sets them up for success, or something.
To do our part in addressing this issue, the Plastic Products Manufacturing Blog is announcing a series on Education & the Changing Workforce. Through a pair of plastic lenses (ha-ha), we’ll explore the connection between the changing global economy and American financial and educational systems.
The current educational system, which has remained essentially the same since inception, runs on the philosophy that students need a foundation in core subjects – mathematics, English (writing and reading), American History, and the sciences (chemistry, biology, and physics). The goal is that everyone knows or cares just as much about one of these subjects as they do about another one. In business language, this means: If you’re laid off, or if you need to switch positions, due to internal or external factors, you can procure employment elsewhere, in a different capacity, industry, or field. Example: Susan resigns from her position as a police officer. Because Susan is accustomed to knowing a little bit about everything, Susan should have no problem finding a position as a bank clerk, administrative assistant, sales rep, radio DJ, etc.
Yes, the current US educational system embraces the “American Dream,” the notion that any American, with a little determination, can accomplish anything he or she desires. Positive things can be said about this philosophy. It can even be held partially accountable for the millions of Americans deemed versatile, capable, and informed, due to their obtainment of standardized measures of achievement and success, such as a high school diploma, college degree, or good scores on the SATs. For businesses, these standardizations help streamline a portion of the hiring process; the attitude that candidates who have completed a standardized collection of “requirements” should have the requisite knowledge to perform the job is widely accepted.
Those are the positives…but there is more to it. However, before we try to explain the potential pitfalls of our current educational system, let us consider examples of those who have deviated from it – and succeeded.
Come join us on Wednesday, where we’ll be continuing our series by investigating American educators who’ve adopted techniques outside the normal scope, such as Montessori teachers, art school founders, and the like. We will also attempt to unmask some connections between the shifting global economy and the changing educational policy at home.
Stay tuned!
Tags: american workforce, brochure holder, display holder, education, Plastic Products, poster holder, sign holder
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