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Our system of education is certainly at an impasse right now. A decade ago, we were on top in terms of college graduation rates. Today, we have fallen way behind other countries in the world. In graduation rates, we rank 20 in the world. Among all the G8 countries, we are behind only Canada and Russia. This is indeed a catastrophic situation.

There is constant effort from academics, pundits, politicians, students and parents to solve this issue without any success whatsoever. Through all this, what we have realized is that this is not a one-size-fits-all situation. There is no way to buy a way out of this issue in spite of efforts to promote community college programs by investing more tax dollars. These colleges are already overflowing beyond capacity.

Long waiting lists await students at these colleges. Most of these students are labelled ‘undeserved’ maybe due to being first in family to attend college, coming from a low income household or being a single parent trying to further their career options by pursuing education.
However, by doing a course that does not further their career is detrimental for many. Most of the non-traditional students prepare for new jobs by equipping themselves with necessary experience and skills.

The Art Institute of Colorado and other career colleges are today attended by at least 3 million students in our country. These students enrol in specific disciplines seeking training to be sound engineers, chefs, 3D animators, digital artists and photographers. They are all succeeding too. Many of them are hugely successful and have gone on to earn awards around the world for their creative genius.

As compared to their affluent peers, those who are labelled “undeserved” borrow higher rates, graduate at lower rates and default on their student loans. This population are better off doing career courses rather than opting for traditional schools.

President Johnson, as a part of the “Great Society” program enacted the Higher Education Act of 1965. This act enabled augmentation of our university and college resources through provision of higher education opportunities and financial assistance to moderate and low income families. Most of the students who would reach out for this aid choose career colleges today.

No consideration or thought is given to the need of students who want to improve their financial standing with the help of financial aid. Baby boomers are the highest educated Americans and this generation is all set to retire soon. Current generation is predominantly under educated, especially the college-aged population. This is a disturbing trend that could drastically affect the quality of workforce in the following couple of decades.

We need more educated workforce to compete on the knowledge based global economy. Norms to hire workers from overseas will become very flexible for employers especially since all the developed nations around the world are constantly evolving in the field of education. Our country will obviously be at a disadvantage.

It is obvious that arithmetic, writing and reading are not enough now. According to Arne Duncan, our Education Secretary, United States can lead in graduation rates again only with the help of institutions like The Arts Institutes.