Comments by "Xyz Same" (@xyzsame4081) on "Pete Buttigieg Blames Minorities For Education Inequality. It's Absurd." video.
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I do not like the empty suit - but he is right in this case. It is important how a kid / teenagers SEES themselves. And if the parents did not go to college - do THEY see their kids going ? - Now in the U.S. there is more cultural / media pressure to to to college and the welfare net is much weaker - so you have to make something out of yourself or lack of finances can kill you (when illness strikes you better be UPPER middle class, and it is also necessary so your kids have the option to go to college). In Germany no one starts a college fund when the kids are little.
Sure parents often do support the living expenses, but when the students come from a low income family they will get some help. And that is additional to the child benefits which everyone gets till age 18, and later if the young adults are in a professinal training or study at an university. Think 150 USD per month. (That is like UBI for children and a not means tested benefit for young adults when they "study").
And even blue collar jobs like electrician, nurse, hair stylist need another school
In the wealthy European countries people feel like part of the middle class even if they have 9 years school, an apprenticeship and then make money being an electrician, plumber.
It IS important if you can see yourself going to university or if "that is done in your family". Being the first to graduate can estrange you from your family (or they try to hinder you because there are fears you will become uppity and "too good for us"
Even thoug these professions have problems now to find smart candidates for apprenticeships, the bright teenagers tend to stay in school.
Back in the day especially out side the cities it was common that such teenagers start an apprenticeship (their family did not go to university. period). When they excelled they often could their way up, or they went to evening school later to get the highschool diploma.
In countries in Europe like Germany and Austria where university is free and they give benefits to low-income students - there is a disparity of who goes to university (or even graduates from highschool).
To quote from a study: going to university is heridatary !
(To be fair there are good jobs and professional training to be had even w/o university)
They have an education system that mandates 9 - 10 years and many teenagers then continue with an apprenticeship, typically for 3 years. (blue collar and white collar jobs. office mostly.
This means that the highschool graduates in Germany and Austria are comparable to good highschools in the U.S. (incl. maths with calculus, at least one foreign language etc.). That highschool diploma (Abitur in Germany or Matura in Austria) is required for admission to university (and they opened a path to go to college later after the finished apprenticeship - some "get it" when they are young adults).
But: in the well heeled families where at least on parent has the highschool diploma (which back in the day was something) or even an university degree the children are pushed through highschool and they almost by default go to university. Now if they finish is another story !
I know a familiy in which the parents (now 70 - 80) all had the better education, ran shops, restaurants, some with university degree. They all did well financially.
Of the 7 children of 4 families all went to university and only one finished (dragged out).
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