collge or voc -- does it matter?

this question was posited on facebook the other day by a high school classmate: "Should Gifted and Talented students be pointed in the direction of vocational schools as well as traditional schools?" (CH) i thought it a very good question & responded, and have also included others' responses and thoughts, since they provided some good perspective & ideas.

SH: Depends on their dreams and wants.

MB: agreed! it's sad that there's such a stigma on voc programs, that we should only gear the "less academically viable" kids towards them. some of those programs can be really intense & challenging, so it seems limiting to veer gifted kids to college & "avg" kids to voc/tech schools. some kids, like those with disabilities, may only be able to learn a trade and specific skill set they can use on a daily basis, but in the grand scheme of things, colleges and vocational schools should be touted as equal avenues of higher education.

MH: Just because you are labeled "Gifted and Talented" doesn't mean much. All it means is you score highly in academic tests, and your parents filled out the paperwork so their kid can have that title. Does that mean you are a true problem solver? Can the G/T student think outside the box? Are they able to show how to solve the problems in more ... See Morethen one way? Are you just "Gifted and Talented" in just one subject or across many subjects? Many students can be "Gifted and Talented" in ways that are not necessarily testable in what many schools consider standard testing. It is a label schools and parents use to try and challenge students who are performing above the grade level standard by offering enrichment classes. However, in most cases many of these students are not G/T in all areas of school, usually just one. If they are pulled out to go to this enrichment class they sometimes miss out on other things in the class or even other subjects, causing them to fall behind in other areas of their schooling. In all honesty if a parent feels their child needs to be challenged the student will find it within the work themselves and go above and beyond the grade level expectation all the time every time. So being labeled "Gifted and Talented" should have nothing to do with pointing an individual in the direction of vocational schools. Many vocational jobs are in electronics, finance, medicine, and new technology, not just blue collar hard labor stuff.

SL: That's true, but only those who score in the top 3%, in all main subject areas, have parent consent, and who are attending a school (or can request a transfer to another school) that offers G/T (GATE) can be entered into the program. College of all kinds is not just for G/T students: if you have the grades to maintain and the money to fork over to get yourself through college then anyone can go. Sadly, many people don't attend and/or drop out because they lack the motivation and/or think they simple just can't do it. Many G/T students attend college because they are driven to challenge themselves in an area (vocational or traditional) they enjoy or feel it's right for them to succeed in the "real world."