College isn't for everyone. Most people in blue collar jobs didn't get them because they couldn't find anything else Most decided to be a plumber, welder or auto mechanic because that was what they enjoyed doing or it was a family business. Should a butcher have gone to college?
Not all college degrees lead to high paying jobs. For example, the kid who expects to graduate with a Fine Arts Degree wouldn't be able to find their first job paying $35,000 - with few raises - unless they own the gallery.
Not all high school graduates are cut out for higher education. If they just squeaked by in High School, why would they find college easier?
Thomas Jefferson realized that not all students are destined for higher education and the world needed people to do the blue collar work. Jefferson proposed that everyone get a primary education - probably up to 12 years old. At that point each student would be tested to see if they would be able to handle a High School curriculum. After graduation, they would be tested to determine if they could pass college courses. This would avoid the "Peter Principal" - rising to the best of your ability and not beyond. An example of the Peter Principal - Your National Sales Manager leaves and you replace him/her with the best salesperson in the field. Now, this person knows sales but doesn't know a thing about administration, leadership, etc. - and is now stuck in a position that they are incapable of doing.
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