Educational Philosophy Term Paper

Career Technical Education

Vocational education has been a part of the American educational system for decades. It is accepted as a vital part of the educational process as a whole and is regarded as a vital role for the future of the American economy.

The movement for vocational education consists of two forces, one which would utilize the public school to simply turn out more efficient laborers and the other would utilize educational resources to equip individuals to control their own future economic careers (Passe 2001). The latter, many feel, would "help on such a reorganization of industry as will change it from a feudalistic to a democratic order" (Passe 2001). With the arrival of large numbers of immigrants during the 1800's, there arose a concern about the socialization of foreign-born children and their parents, thus, the common school was formed as a means of assimilating new Americans into the dominant culture (Passe 2001). Through the use of the McGuffey Readers, social education became a central part of the curriculum and the development of citizenry capable of handling democratic responsibilities was identified as the primary goal of the educational system (Passe 2001).The first thirty years of the 20th century was such a period of rapid corporate growth that schools began to move away from their primary goal of preparing students to be responsible citizens (Passe 2001). With the Smith-Hughes Act of 1917, schools began to create programs to train students in the fields of agriculture, trade, industry, and home economics (Passe 2001). States assumed total control of educational policy until the Smith-Hughes Act that provided matching funds for vocational education, a financial incentive states could not ignore, and thus, the birth of vocational education (Passe 2001).

By the end of the 20th century, jobs focusing on repetitive tasks were in less demand and the business economy needed multi-skilled, teamwork-oriented workers (Passe 2001). In response, the U.S. Labor Department issued "What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for America 2000" (Passe 2001).

The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) recommendations included "basic academic and thinking skills such as reading, writing, listening, and making decisions, as well as such workplace competencies as planning and allocating resources, working with other people, and understanding complex systems" (Passe.....