Most high-school students face the question of college and university as their senior year approaches the end. This dilemma is far more complex than it seems, still premature, students are urged to make pivotal decisions on whether or not they wish to pursue a career through the means of higher education.  And in today’s rapidly shifting world, there are those with a progressive perspective who advocate against university, undermining the importance of scholarship, and those with an orthodox approach, sympathizing with higher education.  

John Dewey High School holds the reputation of being a preparatory institution, planting important skills and traits into its students’ arsenals. In Dewey, students are given a balance of finite freedom and restrictions, relying on the awareness and mature consciousness of students, implementing a sense of responsibility. With that in mind, there is no better candidate than Dewey to raise and address the topic of higher education. 

“I feel as if attaining a higher education has the potential to be worth it for those who find themselves being able to make a use of such in life” Jonathan Ozoemenna, a senior in John Dewey High School said. “But from a personal standpoint I don’t see the worth in pursuing it because it doesn’t line with the aspects that I want to go about doing within my own life” 

John adds “As a society we’re collectively coming to a point where a higher education is just no longer enough to truly thrive in this world, it’s really about what you’re bringing to the table as [an] individual and what you have to offer [to] this world as a person”. 

Some students display an inconsiderate attitude toward higher education, inspired by certain influencers on social media. Many began believing that the current American Society is a construct that needs to be either escaped from, or destroyed. The overwhelming desire for freedom of the younger generation may as well destroy all expressions built beginning in the 20th century, and continued throughout the 21st. Students believe that in today’s world, your success is determined by personal feats, rather than educational feats. 

“Though, one could argue that college isn’t everything and not all things can be learned from college” Jada Jasmine, a senior in John Dewey High School said. “I think it is still important to have some higher knowledge and maybe you can use some of that knowledge to put towards another career you may want to pursue later in the future”. 

  Some students do wish to attend college, remaining loyal to America’s tradition. For instance, Jada, honorably, wants to study Nursing and become a Nurse specializing with children who have disabilities. She feels that “Children should always be loved even if that’s by a nurse”. 

“I think it’s worth getting higher education both from an academic and social aspect. The ability to create and maintain relationships [is something] you are still learning to do which makes college important – there is more than just academic benefit from it” Michael Inoa, a teacher in John Dewey High School said. 

Teachers, however, sympathize with the comforting tradition of a career and college. While still stressing that society needs to advertise trade and labor as an alternative to college. 

John Dewey School administration remains passionate about teaching and education in general. (Name) stresses the significance of education and the contribution students make to the society as whole.
While there are multiple perspectives on this matter in John Dewey High, the question stands, what does this mean for the country? According to ECMC, more than half of high school students do not wish to continue their educational crusade – “The proportion of students considering four-year college has decreased by 23 percentage points since May 2020, with fewer than half of teens now planning to pursue that pathway (down to 48 percent from 71 percent).”

This conversation, however, cannot be decided through but a small sample in the holistic sum of America’s students. Our individuality as people make our collective very diverse and unique, and despite our differences, we continue to strive towards a better future, whether or not through the means of higher education.