Argument74【超越自我小组】第8次作业

apjackUID: 2381599

74. The following appeared in a newsletter about education policy.

'The average annual earnings of high school dropouts are significantly less than the average annual earnings of high school graduates. To address this problem, the state governor has proposed that the state should establish free vocational training programs for high school dropouts. But the availability of such programs would probably encourage some students who would otherwise have graduated to drop out in order to pursue vocational training. Hence the proposed programs would lower, not raise, the average earning potential of young people. Therefore, the state should not establish the vocational training programs but should instead focus on improving academic programs in our high schools.'


By indicating more high school students who are in favor of vocational program will drop out their current study, thereby lowering the earning potential of youth, the author concludes that the state should focus on improving academic programs in high schools instead of establishing the vocational training programs. However, these evidences lend none credible support to the conclusion.

First, the author unreasonably assumes that vocational training program graduates would not have an earning potential as high as school graduates, thereby lowering the average earning potential of all youth. It is true that the remuneration of a graduate hinges on occupation, relevant experience, and graduate’s academic performance. A vocational training gradate could have a higher remuneration than a high school graduate as a result of that vocational training graduate has more relevant and professional knowledge learned in their programs compared to high school student who learned general academic subjects. For instance, vocational trainers in building service study the knowledge of building safety and construction materials, and frequently receive practical training outside class. Besides, the author fails to consider the amplitude of programs provides in vocational training and results in a high employment rate. It is entirely possible that most vocational training graduates can find their jobs in relevant fields, whereas few high school graduates attained excellent academic performance can have works although they obtain high wages. In case, vocational training graduates can participate in different fields including business administration, accountancy, health care and engineering, not as narrow as high school graduates can choose. Without ruling out other possible circumstances, the author cannot reasonably conclude that the state should not establish the vocational training programs for high school dropouts.

Furthermore, it is unpersuasive that improving academic programs in high school would ultimately augment the number of high school graduates. There is no evidence indicated in the argument that current academic program in high school is inappropriate or boring to student, thereby leading to more student drop out. Also, the author is failing to consider other alternatives of affecting student pursue in high school. Such alternative may include the fact that student cannot afford the school tuition fee because it is exceptionally expensive, or that the average revenue of family is extremely low. It is also probably that students’ parent prefer their children studying in foreign country which has a better environment in learning a foreign language. Without considering these situations, the author cannot rationally draw the conclusion that the state should focus on ameliorating academic program in high school.

Finally, no convincing evidence have been provided by the author to substantiate that more high school students will cast off their current study and then pursue vocational training program. Perhaps high school students are content for subjects supplied by high school, or perhaps the reputation of new vocational training program is not as good as state’s high schools, even perhaps stereotype belief deems student who study vocational training just because he/she has poor academic performance in high school. In short, the author should provide cogent information that shows number of high school student intend to alter their study to vocational training program, otherwise the reason that new vocational training programs encourage student drop out lend less support to the author’s conclusion.

Overall, the reasoning for substantiating the author’s conclusion seems unconvincing as presented above. In order to persuade the audience, the author should provide concrete information about the remuneration of graduates from both vocational training program and high school, and information regarding to students’ satisfaction of academic program.

[ 本帖最后由 apjack 于 2008-8-14 15:34 编辑 ]