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Are parents justified in pressuring their teenage children to get a college education?
Are parents justified in pressuring their teenage children to get a college education?
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| Yes | 67% | 253 votes | Total: 380 votes | |
| No | 33% | 127 votes |
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Whether or not parents are justified in pressuring their children to obtain a college education has much to do with the definition of pressuring. Guiding, mentoring, suggesting, and explaining are much better ways to get results when dealing with teenagers.
Presumably, if a college education is important to parents, they begin laying the groundwork from an early age. Elementary school is certainly not too early to begin dropping phrases such as when you go to college or perhaps even asking the occasional question: What do you think you might like to study in college? These small conversational gestures will go a long way towards the child developing a sense of when, as opposed to if.
In this manner, there is no pressure, only simple expectation.
As kids develop and mature, they will be exposed to more choices and more possibilities; some may decide that the world of work beckons more loudly, especially if they have been working part-time throughout high school.
Teenagers with jobs often succumb to the lure of cash and grossly underestimate the amount needed to survive, or even thrive, in today's world. They look at the benefits of being independent but fail to recognize the pitfalls, especially the advantages of education. Many, if not most, are somewhat burned out from the previous twelve years of schooling and wish to see the world or obtain practical experience before heading off to college. What most do not realize because, after all, teenagers are indestructible and impervious to negative things which influence the lives of others, is that once postponed, college is requently delayed for many years.
Of course parents are justified in pushing for a college education - teenagers are still kids, and kids have parents for a reason: Because kids lack the maturity and experience to make the best decisions. This does not mean that parents should force a college education; that is counter-productive as it goes back to the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." Parents can insist their teen go to college, but they cannot absolutely compel that teen to study or attend class.
The teen years are a time of transition from child to adult; some decisions must be left to the child so he may become an adult - and sometimes this includes consequences that parents would rather their child not experience. These consequences are, however, necessary for the child's growth and maturation.
A teen must not be left to flounder, and the proper means must be given to ensure success in the college experience: Information, encouragement, openness, and listening are all things a parent must do. A teen will respond better to gentle nudging and suggestion, but a parent must be prepared to step in with help - not to take over, not to do things for the teen, but to help him on the road to independence by teaching him how to apply for admission, aid, testing, and so forth.
Beginning during the elementary years to expect a child to attend college, and continuing throughout the teen years with that same anticipation, is the best way to increase the odds of a child's college attendance - while, at the same time, giving them the tools they need to make their decision. There is no real matter of pressure, but one of guiding and leading. Parents may indeed pressure their child to attend college, knowing the results of a lack of education, but their efforts will likely fall far short of their expectations.
Learn more about this author, Robin Tidwell.
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No
Justification? First consider feasibility. Part of my career responsibilities was conducting feasibility studies. Feasibility leads to reality. I had to determine whether or not a project was a realistic endeavor based on facts presented.
Counseling one's teenage children to pursue a college education is commendable whereas pushing or applying pressure to do so might not. Pushing one's child can mean pushing him/her away and often does psychologically. Coaching is often a better approach.
Something that might be considered is means to pay for that education. What will a 4 year college education cost when that child finally gets there? The costs are staggering at this time and is pretty much prohibitive unless one comes from wealth. There are not enough scholarships or grants to pay for those years of schooling. I took out student loans when I was younger and what a pinch they put me in when it came time to pay up. That was years ago and though I didn't borrow $50K or more I know several students will have to.
I worked at a large and well known college laboratory 20 years ago. The younger engineers were attending graduate courses on campus there after work. Some of us learned the costs of that and considered it to be ridiculous. Two years of graduate studies was not worth the price of a house. I think those students are feeling the payback to be a bit steep now given the current financial state of the world as they are surely still in debt.
I am shocked to know households having problems with mortgages are subscribed to satellite or cable television as well as cell phone service for everyone in their households. Most have multiple car notes consuming huge chunks of their monthly incomes.
This is where feasibility comes into play. Most families in America maintain a foothold because of debt. The majority of those are so mired in debt they will never see a tunnel of light meaning relief less they conduct a significant turnaround in life.
The present economy presents something that I have problems with. Interest rates that reward one for saving or investing money don't exist as they once did so people don't. If one is able to save or invest the returns are pittances. Add to that the effects of salary reductions due to scaling back of employers and saving is further removed.
The following is a question I have asked over the past 10 years. If one cannot afford to save money, how can one afford to spend it? I used to enjoy handsome dividends on investments as simple as bank CD's. They have dwindled to handfuls of change over the past few years.
Given the financial air of the nation - if a family cannot fund a child's college education why push the child? The chance of every child receiving a full tuition by way of grants for a college scholarship is unlikely. I don't know the exact percentages of how many scholarships are given out but there are not enough to float the education of every child hoping to attend college/university.
I found this bit of information concerning the disparity of those who have and those who do not have the resources to seek college education. Again, a lot of it is feasibility. This information deals with my topic at hand - I had no need to write the above after finding this information. I was looking for percentages of students and tuition funding.
I see no justification in pressuring a child in light of these figures. Counsel the child before he/she is in junior high school and demonstrate the merits of education so that the child might strive for higher grades which could lead to a scholarship.
Let us only hope that things turn around soon before it is near impossible for none but the very wealthy to attend university. At that point we will be thrown back to a Victorian times and only the wealthy will be educated.
Learn more about this author, Kevin L'dux.
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