NBC/Today: Teens enter vocational school, come out with jobs, no debt

[Igel]

7. Sounds European.

In this case, a good thing.

A lot of college kids learn no more critical thinking in college than they did in high school. Esp. those that are attending low-tier colleges and aren't really college ready upon entering college.

We have too many college grads. The jobs aren't there that need those skills. If it's a hobby or for personal enrichment, great. But most kids go to college because they want a job or just want to extend adolescence. Many gain no practical skills in college, and then hit the job market with a degree but no skills.

We don't have enough two-year degrees. And this high school, like others offering Career and Technical Education classes, provides much of the equivalent of a traditional two-year degree.

It's completely possible to teach critical thinking and tech skills. Esp. since "critical thinking" as such doesn't exist. There are nice heuristics that are common to most kinds of critical thinking, but there are also field-specific kinds of approaches. And whatever your approach, without detailed knowledge self-proclaimed "critical thinking" is just so much dishwater.