To the Editor:

Reference the recent series of news articles and editorials about a philosophical change in our secondary education programs. As a substitute teacher in Beaufort County secondary schools for over 10 years, I have been able to observe firsthand the diversity of attitudes/capability and desires in the students. I now see politicians and others who control educational policies finally setting into motion changes that many Beaufort County teachers have long been urging.

High-school students currently leave school with only academic skills. The present high-school curriculum is based on the premise that all graduates should be capable of entering a college. This is not realistic. What is wrong with a student graduating from high school with a marketable skill in place of having college-level entry requirements?

A high-school graduate who does not go to college and who wants to get into a meaningful career occupation first has to learn a skill. He/she can work with skilled individuals/companies or go into the military in order to acquire a marketable skill. This can be a hit-or-miss situation.

What is now being proposed is a structured way in which a local high-school student can learn a skill during his or her four years in school. This would be a major step forward in putting our educational system in touch with reality.

GENE SCHWARTZ

Pinetown