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Zeke Zeke is online now
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Long Beach CA, the sewer by the sea.
Posts: 38,250
There is no reason to teach shop classes in high school any longer. That's what the community college is for. Our community college has 2 campuses, one being called Business and Technology. There they teach everything from professional cooking to sheet metal fabrication. They have 2 large auto shops, one for mechanics and the other for body. I think one can study fashion design there including sewing.

The shop classes I had in high school were just a taste of about 3 basic fields, wood, metal and automotive. There wasn't enough instruction to go out and get a job at anything more than a shop broom jockey. It did, however, give some insight to working with your hands. That's the only purpose I can see in retrospect.

At the time, it was just a place to not have to read as much and get a fairly easy grade.

Add to that it carries a high liability and cost both of which are better borne by a more dedicated facility.

Agree that the music classes in all forms are also a traditional part of K-12 education. Much easier to manage instruments than welding torches. Sorry to see any "experience" go, but to take a serious path of teaching a skill takes an extended level of schooling. I vote this is beyond grade 12.

BTW, Long Beach also has private technology schools. The newest one I'm not even familiar with. WyoTech Long Beach - What You Should Know
They seem to have everything from race car chassis and hot rod building to construction trades. We had a complete design school that taught fashion to interior decorating and commercial art, but they shut down in the recession.
Old 06-20-2012, 07:59 AM
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