Our View: Kudos to schools for vo-tech leaning

It’s encouraging to see our local schools recognize that their primary purpose is educating our children for their future.

That means different things to different people, of course. The prevalent attitude of preparing children for college is great, if your children are meant to attend college. But it’s not appropriate to direct students into college prep courses when they would be better served in vocational training, such as welding, computer technology, drafting and other trades.

There’s an old joke about who to call when your sewer is backed up late on a Saturday night and your house full of guests: you don’t look through the Yellow Pages for “English Majors,” you look for plumbers. This is certainly not to disparage English majors; rather it’s a recognition that we need well-trained students in all occupations necessary for a well-functioning society.

We still see the value of teaching students to conjugate a French verb. But we recognize that too many students graduate from high school and have no idea how to use an adjustable wrench, or stitch a hem, or input a control parameter.

There’s a demand for plumbers, electricians, and technicians as much as there is for college-educated workers. If someone wants to stay in the Cloquet area after high school, being prepared for a job at Sappi, Upper Lakes Foods, USG, or Boldt gives our local students an advantage. And being able to prepare those of our students who want to move on to good colleges is important, too.

It’s also good local schools recognize that many jobs requiring a high school education often require some competency with computer technology. They also know that cooperating with local major employers and local trade unions to figure out how to prepare students for careers at their facilities is critical when preparing students for life after high school.

We applaud our school districts who prepare

college-bound students for college as well as educating those students who will work in the trades for their careers. It’s a win-win.