REALITY CHECK FOR NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROGRAMS

In the 1960's and 70's, the New York State Public Schools Programs met the needs of the times.  Grade school programs helped students to develope skills in the "3 R's" and prepared students for high school.  High school programs  further developed the "3 R's"  and further prepared students  for college;,  as well as addressing the then critical needs of the time, preparing students for entry level jobs in business, and personal use business skills to help all students to survive in our economically oriented society.

The New York State Education Department had a Bureau of Business and  Distrubutive  Education dedicated to the improvement and promotion of industry and personal use business programs in the public schools throughout the State.  Popular courses like Business Law and Typewriting were taken by  many college entrance students as well as  those planning to enter the work force upon graduation.

In 1980, funding emphasis was placed on Math and Science neglecting Business Education until shortly after the 21st Cenury when  the Bureau of Business Education was completely eliminated, the Bookkeeping, Business Law and Secretarial courses were moved up to the Community College Programs,  and Consumer Education couses became almost non existent in the Public Schools Curriculums.  The unintentional consequence is the sad fact that the nearly 40% of the students that do not go on to college have no basic training in business skills for entry level jobs or to cope with the challenges they must face to survive as consumers.  Another unintentional consequence is that those going on to college that do not take business courses must also face the survival challenges of a consumer without the necessary business skills; especially the knowledge of vital consumer laws.

The noble goal to prepare all students for college is unquestionably wise but also unquesionably short sighted.  New York State Public School Education is neglecting nearly 40% of the New York State Public School Students.  BOCES, the extremely expensive attempt to provide vocational education does nothing to counter the consumer education problem and falls far short of meeting the needs of the great number of students that do not go on to college.

New York State is not alone in this neglect of Consumer Education.  It was federal funding that promoted the sole emphasis on Math and Science thus causing the neglect of Consumer Education as an unintentional consequence.  Some educators believe that this unintentional consequence was one of the root causes of the  current credit crisis.

A simple solution to help solve one of these problems would be to include a course in Consumer Law and possibly another in Consumer Economics in the Public Schools Curiculums for 15 and 16 year olds, reaching the dropouts and also the graduates that do not go on to college as well as the college entrance majors for they will become consumers too.  This will not solve all of the problems in education, but to do less would be to continue criminal neglect.