Date of Award

Spring 1991

Degree Type

Master's Essay - Restricted

Abstract

The changing international business market, global economics and the changing nature of work itself are making it imperative that our public education system keep up with these changes to better prepare our children to be: successful in the world of work. In the past industrial age, workers were trained to hold factory or management jobs. Now society has moved into the technological/information age where the need for specific knowledge and necessary skills is changing. It is now necessary to prepare all students for the life long learning needed to survive and succeed in the work place of the 21st century. In his book Megatrends , Naisbitt (1982) addresses ten trends that he believes will or have already begun taking place in the United states. One of these trends is the shift of the United states being an industrial society to an information society. Naisbitt believes that this is the most subtle yet most explosive change. As we are moving into an age when our society is relying more and more on literacy, schools are turning out students who can not read. Computer literacy is essential in this new information society, but with many high school students not provided with computer education they will not be suited for many jobs in this society. ..... 5 In the past, the basic skills of reading, writing, arithmetic and a general understanding of science, culture, and government were considered the prerequisites to employment. These skills will always be a necessary foundation, but due to the information explosion there will be many other necessary skills. Some of the skills that will be necessary moving into the next century include computer literacy, critical thinking skills, understanding of business and economics, and human relations skills. In order to guarantee that the students of today have these necessary skills educators need to revise some aspects of our educational system.

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