Europe knows best

I was very intrigued by the notion described in this article. I do agree that our education system needs a major overhaul. However, I am not convinced through this article alone that this two-system approach is the best. I was especially confused by the notion that people could work as entrepreneurs for $1 per year. This, while noble, is not practical in today's society, nor can I imagine any person wanting to work for $1 unless they have a large amount of savings.

Although this particular system is confusing to me, I do agree with a different type of two-faceted system. After studying at Oxford and getting to know several British students, I was very impressed with the European tracking system. It makes perfect sense to me to identify a 'track 'for each student, based not only on their academic ability, but also on their interests. However, I do not think this 'track' should occur until a student has reached 10th grade. By that time, it is increasingly obvious which students will be on a college track, and which simply want to gain knowledge for a trade. When I taught high school, I had several students who would have benefited from a track in which they learned a trade. One student, in particular, struggled academically but was brilliant with cars and engines. He wanted to go into mechanics, but was forced to spend his time failing his academic courses. I would have loved to place this student on a track to learn a trade. This would have been much more beneficial to his future, and could have helped him to be more successful. In the same light, by tracking students on a college course, we can ensure that all students are taking the classes necessary to be college eligible and successful in higher education.