Friday, June 27, 2008
I thought I'd jump on my high horse this morning and take a ride....
I N S I D E H I G H E R E D Daily Update
REFORMING ADULT EDUCATION,
http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/06/27/qt
Adult education programs are failing to reach millions of Americans who lack basic literacy or other skills needed to get decent jobs, says a report released Thursday by a national commission charged with studying the issue. "Reach Higher, America: Overcoming the Crisis in the U.S. Workforce" notes that 18 million adult Americans lack high school diplomas, 51 million haven't gone to college and 18 million aren't proficient in English. The report, from the National Commission on Adult Literacy, calls for an overhaul of federal programs for adult literacy so that efforts have the explicit goals of either job training or preparation for postsecondary education.
51 million! That is 1/6 of the United States population. If the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is serious about creating jobs, perhaps creating learning programs that are affordable is a place to start, by enabling the part of the 51 million that reside in Pennsylvania the ability to apply for jobs and get them because they have an education. This will allow workforce development professionals the chance to promote our learned population as ready and smart to work for Mr. or Ms. Businessman/woman.
We could develop the programs with sufficient funding through the TIUs or community colleges with later matriculation to the SSHEs and the Pitt and Penn State campuses if desired. Why not take some of the state lottery money for senior citizens, and ear mark that towards education of adults to make their senior citizen years ones of being able to stand on their own or more independent of state coffers at a later age. Its pay them now or pay them later. The old tale about giving someone a fish comes to mind here: if you teach a person to fish, they'll be self-sufficient.
In Pennsylvania, we could at least try.
There are other countries, smaller than the GNP of the United States , that can afford to teach adults for next to nothing for the student. Can the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania not do as much?
Paul
I N S I D E H I G H E R E D Daily Update
REFORMING ADULT EDUCATION,
http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/06/27/qt
Adult education programs are failing to reach millions of Americans who lack basic literacy or other skills needed to get decent jobs, says a report released Thursday by a national commission charged with studying the issue. "Reach Higher, America: Overcoming the Crisis in the U.S. Workforce" notes that 18 million adult Americans lack high school diplomas, 51 million haven't gone to college and 18 million aren't proficient in English. The report, from the National Commission on Adult Literacy, calls for an overhaul of federal programs for adult literacy so that efforts have the explicit goals of either job training or preparation for postsecondary education.
51 million! That is 1/6 of the United States population. If the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is serious about creating jobs, perhaps creating learning programs that are affordable is a place to start, by enabling the part of the 51 million that reside in Pennsylvania the ability to apply for jobs and get them because they have an education. This will allow workforce development professionals the chance to promote our learned population as ready and smart to work for Mr. or Ms. Businessman/woman.
We could develop the programs with sufficient funding through the TIUs or community colleges with later matriculation to the SSHEs and the Pitt and Penn State campuses if desired. Why not take some of the state lottery money for senior citizens, and ear mark that towards education of adults to make their senior citizen years ones of being able to stand on their own or more independent of state coffers at a later age. Its pay them now or pay them later. The old tale about giving someone a fish comes to mind here: if you teach a person to fish, they'll be self-sufficient.
In Pennsylvania, we could at least try.
There are other countries, smaller than the GNP of the United States , that can afford to teach adults for next to nothing for the student. Can the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania not do as much?
Paul
# posted by Dr. Paul Rutter @ 8:50 AM 
