It’s not only the issue of added education, which previous answers have noted, but an issue of life experience and maturity.

Of course there is a range of possibilities, but in comparing the maturity level, reasoning ability, communication skills, and interpersonal skills of high school grads to college grads, there is quite a dramatic difference.

If the issue is money, a talented high school grad can go to a good state school rather than a private one and can save thousands of dollars and still gain a fine education. There is much to be gained in those four college years in all kinds of growth and learning and that is why those years are important.

It takes more than talent to be a success.

Even if that worked for some high school students (those who did not need the specialized training of certain college majors)—

what would happen when the former high school students lose their jobs?

Having that college degree makes job hunting so much easier. They would always be at a disadvantage in the market place when competing with college educated candidates. You are hurting the students prospects for future employment.

(And since most companies do not employ you for 40+ years then changing jobs is a necessity.)

I was thinking of hiring a high school graduate to run my multi-million dollar pilot plant in Kendall Square, Cambridge. It’s sure a lot cheaper than hiring a college graduate, especially when you take into consideration that the high school graduate has absolutely no idea what he is doing, doesn’t understand higher-math, has a complete lack of understanding in basic scientific principles and engineering intuition. I want to hire a high school graduate so my multi-million dollar plant explodes from a pressure build-up in a valve causing my company to lose billions of dollars in clean-up, reconstruction, lost R&D, re-inspection, and investor’s confidence the moment they realize I’m employing idiot high school kids to do work college grads should be doing.

You’re presuming that no learning takes place in colleges. In some cases, that may be a fair assumption, but in a lot of other cases, the education that takes place in college is essential. This might work for lower level jobs, but wouldn’t work for any position with specialized skills.

if the education level of most high schools are anything like our local high school grads, they are so uneducated and unprepared to take on a real job

given the quality of high school graduation certificates here in Florida, i doubt companies would be interested.

🙁