Hands-On Learning

This op-ed originally appeared in City Weekly on June 12, 2024.

Fox 13 News recently celebrated an auto shop restoring old cars inside Bingham High School, while KSL News wrote about a group of students who built a home. These stories are terrific. But why aren’t programs like this the norm?

For the last half century, schools emphasized college as the next step after high school. Many schools even went so far as to eliminate programs like auto shop and woodworking. Schools pushed college, calling it the “golden ticket” to a better future. Unsurprisingly, today’s students feel disillusioned by the education process.

An April Gallup survey suggests that fewer than half of Gen Z middle school and high school students feel motivated to go to school. I would contend that more students nowadays want on-the-job training.

As a school principal, I saw this trend firsthand. There were so many hard-working and talented students who could do things with their hands. They simply weren’t interested in sitting for six or seven hours a day in a classroom. They needed to be more active.

The conventional school system isn’t built for students like these. For these students, there are lucrative options outside of college.

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About the author

Jon England

Jon is the Education Policy Analyst at Libertas Institute. He is a fourteen-year veteran of public schools. He taught both fifth and sixth grades, receiving Weber District’s E+ Team Award. He proudly homeschools his children with his wife. Jon received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Western Governors University. He spent time in the Marine Corps and separated as a sergeant in 2006. During his time in public schools, Jon increasingly understood the importance of parental empowerment in education. This increased understanding led him to join Libertas to provide educational freedom for families. Jon enjoys spending time with his wife and five children traveling, skiing, and playing games.

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