Poll: Many Americans no longer view college as ‘very important’
Many Americans no longer view college as ‘very important’ according to the first part of the 46th annual PDK-Gallup poll. According to the poll, only 44 percent of Americans cite college education as ‘very important’; a number is down from 75 percent just four years ago. A larger percentage of Americans now view education as ‘fairly important.’
The number of parents who said it was somewhat or very likely that they would be able to pay for college for their oldest child is down to 69 percent from 77 percent in 2010.
As a whole, Americans are doubtful about students’ career readiness; just 13 percent said a high school graduate is ready. Thirty-seven percent of Americans agree that college grads are ready for the work world.
Americans believe that the most important factor in helping a high school student eventually get a good job is learning skills such as dependability, persistence, and teamwork.
The second part of the poll, released this week found that a majority of public school parents want selective teacher training programs and that they believe new teachers should work for a minimum of one year with a certified teacher prior to manning their own class.
The feud of Common Core continues; the majority of Americans oppose the Common Core State Standards and the Teach for American program embraced by the Obama administration. Over half of Americans said that the curriculum used in their community’s schools needs altered.
I find the results to the poll really interesting. It’s unfortunate that so many Americans don’t view college as ‘very important.’ The declining belief in the importance of college is really disheartening and I hope we can find away to turn these numbers around and encourage more students to pursue higher education.
This is the sad state of things! While so many people now get degrees, the market is not able to accommodate everyone. We need more job-specific training, and less fluff classes at the college level.
I can see where this makes sense. The skyrocketing cost of college alone is enough to make people want to bypass it altogether, especially young people without the means to afford it. The trend of record numbers of students attending college is not reversing itself, though, so I’m not sure if the numbers in this poll actually mean anything.
Well of course no thinks college is important — look at all these graduates with no jobs, or those who are severely underpaid. We encourage everyone to go to college, and it has backfired. It has lowered the employment bar for everyone.
This is a tricky topic. I believe more education for all is always a good thing — but the value of a college education does seem to be devalued a bit when everyone seeks it. The answer lies in finding the areas where skilled/educated workers are needed most, and actively seeking out those people.
Maybe people are starting to question the value of some academic standing and blathering on in front of a bunch of note-taking robots for four years, all for the bargain price of $100,000+? Colleges have their own massive greed and resistance to change to blame. Make colleges into places of practical, research grounded application of ideas, creativity, and critical thinking, and you are getting somewhere. Price them fairly, and you are really cooking. If it weren’t for the fact that there are still occupations and employers that require degrees, I would not seriously encourage my own children to attend in the coming years.