Polytechnical Education: A Step.

Overview & Synopsis

Relating vocational to academic programs in U.S. high schools is a challenge. Usually, more academic subjects are required for graduation, while vocational study is squeezed into the electives. This is not a balance; what is needed is an interaction between the academic and the vocational, the product of which is a general education persuasively stronger than what currently exists. Collaboration between teachers of vocational and academic studies will make academic studies more relevant and students will be less likely to drop out of school before graduation. Such a collaboration could be termed polytechnical education. The Soviet Union has developed a curriculum of polytechnical education, in an effort to establish "parity of esteem" of vocational and academic preparation. Soviet polytechnical education is rooted in the Marxist-Leninist ideology, which remains a powerful influence despite a move toward an economy responsive to the market. Soviet polytechnical education has different manifestations in rural and urban areas, but it has an essential structure. It can also facilitate vocational learning and career decision making. A polytechnical education system such as the Soviet Union has could be a step toward integrating academic and vocational education in the United States. (This paper contains an extension examination of the Soviet polytechnical system and 75 references.) (KC)