The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #161902 Message #3852307
Posted By: Senoufou
25-Apr-17 - 06:12 AM
Thread Name: BS: Choice of education
Subject: RE: BS: Choice of education
I agree Steve. There was/is a bit of a stigma about 'Vocational Courses', which there shouldn't be of course.
My feisty sister tackled the Head at our Grammar School to allow her to do Woodwork & Metalwork alongside her more academic subjects. She's much brighter than I, was obviously going to University, and the Head was astonished. She reckoned they would be very useful things to learn (they were!) He gave in and she was brilliant, much to the disgust of the boys. (Sexism was alive and well in those days)
I wanted to change my Uni course to Nursing Studies (a degree course) but my Director of Studies was equally astonished, and my traditional father forbade it. I had to do a Post Grad teaching qualification for a year after graduation. I still think a 3yr Teachers' Training College vocational course would have been more useful to me. (or entry as an SRN student in a hospital!)
I really think Studies should be just that, not separated into 'academic' or 'vocational', and not necessarily leading to anything in particular. What one does after receiving the qualification is up to oneself. People change their minds, circumstances alter, other opportunities arise, but all types of learning are never wasted.