Have you been following the news of the German girl, Melissa Busekros who was removed from her family and placed in a psychiatric institution for "school phobia"? The HSLDA e-newsletter reports that calls, e-mails, and letters to the German embassy and the Bavarian Minister of Justice may help to free the young lady.
If they know the world is watching, the government of Germany may be moved to amend this great wrong. As they learned in WWII, little wrongs done to a few can grow to great wrongs done to many. Surely they don't want history to repeat itself!
You may read the whole story here: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3731
If you wish to register a strong protest with the German ambassador or the Minister of Justice, here is the contact information, courtesy of HSLDA:
Dr. Klaus Scharioth
Ambassador
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000
The embassy can be emailed from its website:
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=3732
Minister of Justice in Bavaria:
Beate Merk
Prielmayerstr. 7
80335 Munchen
Tel. +49 89 5597 1799
Fax +49 89 5597 3580
Email: beate.merk@stmj.bayern.de
Germany has a history of hostility toward homeschoolers, but if many voices around the world are raised in protest of this dreadful event, they may be willing to reconsider.
And finally, can there be anything more effective than prayer? Just think if she were your own dear daughter...
Friday, February 09, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Technical Programs- A College Alternative
I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere over the last several decades, there has been a shift away from the technical programs that used to be ubiquitous at most high schools. Now, many students are unaware of the many jobs available for skilled workers in what has been traditionally known as "the trades."
A recent article in our local paper reported that employers in many of the skilled trades are finding it difficult to replace older workers when they retire. This seems odd, as wages for a skilled tradesman are comparable to wages for college graduates, and the time and cost investment neede to learn a skilled trade is significantly less than the cost of college.
I may be a bit biased in favor of the trades, as my father was a machinist, and my husband is also. It seems that I've spent my life trying to explain that machinists don't work on cars, they create the machines that do everything in the industrial world! They transform engineer's drawings into three-dimensional parts, and often, into complete machines. My father built machines that screen-printed bottles; my husband has built machines that make hamburger buns and many other things.
Tradesmen usually work in clean, well-lighted shops, with good pay and benefits. According to the newspaper, average hourly wages for a tool-and-die maker in 2005 were $23.48; for a machinist, $19.44; an electrician, $22.42; and a chemical technician, $24.07. Many companies offer on-the-job training, which is a time-tested option that works well for many people.
A final advantage of the skilled trades is that most are a 'leave it at the door' profession. Unlike people-focused careers that can weight you emotionally after a long day at work, you can shut the door on a trade and focus on home and family--the things that really matter in life. Skilled trades are an excellent choice for high school students who don't really want to go to college.
You can read about hundreds of career posibilities, including many skilled trades, in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. I highly recommend checking it out!
A recent article in our local paper reported that employers in many of the skilled trades are finding it difficult to replace older workers when they retire. This seems odd, as wages for a skilled tradesman are comparable to wages for college graduates, and the time and cost investment neede to learn a skilled trade is significantly less than the cost of college.
I may be a bit biased in favor of the trades, as my father was a machinist, and my husband is also. It seems that I've spent my life trying to explain that machinists don't work on cars, they create the machines that do everything in the industrial world! They transform engineer's drawings into three-dimensional parts, and often, into complete machines. My father built machines that screen-printed bottles; my husband has built machines that make hamburger buns and many other things.
Tradesmen usually work in clean, well-lighted shops, with good pay and benefits. According to the newspaper, average hourly wages for a tool-and-die maker in 2005 were $23.48; for a machinist, $19.44; an electrician, $22.42; and a chemical technician, $24.07. Many companies offer on-the-job training, which is a time-tested option that works well for many people.
A final advantage of the skilled trades is that most are a 'leave it at the door' profession. Unlike people-focused careers that can weight you emotionally after a long day at work, you can shut the door on a trade and focus on home and family--the things that really matter in life. Skilled trades are an excellent choice for high school students who don't really want to go to college.
You can read about hundreds of career posibilities, including many skilled trades, in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. I highly recommend checking it out!
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