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Author Topic: Is the US Education System Failing Us??  (Read 2577 times)

OldLeatherneck

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Is the US Education System Failing Us??
« on: June 01, 2013, 02:49:49 PM »
One of the more rewarding experiences I have had, since retirement, is being the scholarship chairman for a local non-profit.  I live in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, which most of you know is very conservative and the local populace receives most of their news from unreliable sources (FOX News).  It alarms me to find out how many bright, deserving high school graduates are planning for educational and career futures in the petroleum or natural gas industries.

Quite often, I'm invited to present the scholarship at special award ceremonies for graduating seniors.  Last night was a different situation.  I was invited to a small rural high school in a neighboring county where the award presentation was combined the graduation ceremony.  As such, the award presenters got to march behind the faculty and graduates onto the football field.  I'm not going to mention how many decades it's been since I marched to the sound of "Pomp and Circumstance".

Being a very small school, the educational and career plans for each graduating senior were announced publicly.  Two of the young men receiving multiple awards and numerous honors were planning careers in Natural Gas Engineering and Petroleum Geology respectively.  Fortunately, the young lady I presented a scholarship to was planning a future in Environmental Sciences.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that I've encountered many young people in this area that have plans for career futures in the fossil fuel industry.  I'm certain that they have been unduly influenced by family, friends and even possibly educators that climate change is not real and the world's energy future lies underground waiting to  be further exploited.

Somehow, we have to  strive to make sure that the true science of AGW/CC is being taught at the junior and senior high school levels.  If not, we are going to have another generation of deniers going through the educational pipeline.
"Share Your Knowledge.  It's a Way to Achieve Immortality."  ......the Dalai Lama