College education is important because it enables one to develop a career path. The issue has prompted a debate about making one year college education a requirement for every American. This paper will focus on two opposing arguments on whether every American should have one year of college education.
Every American should have a one year college education in order to participate in rebuilding the economy of the country. The industrial sector in American requires people with middle level skills. The kinds of skills required in the industries are beyond those acquired in high school.
Anyone willing to be successful and work in the industrial sector must get a college education because one gets more skills that enable one to work competitively in the job sector. Moreover, going to college opens up possibilities for an individual. People who attend college “gain academic, technical and critical thinking skills “ ((St. Clair 1). Some may actually end up achieving a certificate and eventually get jobs that have potential for growth.
The possibility of acquiring a bachelor’s degree increases with college attendance and an individual has a better chance of building a successful career path with higher wages than those who do not attend college. On other hand, making one year college education a requirement for all Americans will give a chance even to adults who skipped college for one reason or another. These Americans will get a chance to build a career path (St. Clair 1).
Conversely, not all Americans should be required to get a one year college education because it is not really necessary. Mandating everyone to have it would not be practicable because some people have no desire to attend college in the first place. Coercing such individuals into colleges would only amount to a waste of resources because one cannot learn if they are not willing. In addition, the government would be forced to control college admissions hence deny institutions autonomy.
Not, only would this scenario lead to loss of academic freedom, but also increase the education budget. Requiring every American to attend a one year college education would work in the reverse because colleges would be crowded and thus not able to offer quality education to those who join out of their own free will. Instead of raising the level of education, this requirement would undermine education tremendously (Linker 1).
Professor St. Clair brings forth strong arguments why every American should have a college degree. She shows how a college degree can help an individual not only in the short term by getting a job, but also in the long term by helping one to develop a successful career path. According to her a college education is the key to a person’s career path and success. On the contrary, Professor Linker brings forward reasons against making one year college education mandatory but fails to show how individuals who not attend it fair in their career path.
The arguments would have been stronger if Linker would have included stories of successful people with no one year college education. He should also have expounded how students willing to be in college are hindered from succeeding by those in college against their will. St. Clair should have also mentioned that not all people are gifted in education because there are successful people out there without a college degree. She also fails to address the issue of financing mandatory one year college education.
Finally, a college education is important and every American should have one year of college education. St. Clair makes compelling points for supporting one year education. The outcomes of the one year college education are great and have put some people on a solid career path.
The education can give adults a chance to curve out a career path. Education is really a key that opens up opportunities because societies with high levels of education are successful and the way to make a society successful especially on the economic front is to educate the people so that they can participate in the economic activities.
However, Linker does not convince with his arguments against one year education because some people may end up liking education once they go into the one year college program as they may realize the opportunities that lie ahead. Some people do not know how to make the right choices and must be guided in this case mandated to go to the one year college education program.
Without a one year college education chances of succeeding in a career path diminish considerably. Thus making every American have a college education would be step in the right direction.
Works Cited
Linker, Dan. Should every American have a one year college education?
St. Clair, Serena Ota. Should every American have a one year college education?