Bill Gates on High School

Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently said:

America's high schools are obsolete. By obsolete, I don't just mean that they're broken, flawed or underfunded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean our high schools -- even when they're working as designed -- cannot teach all our students what they need to know today.

I understand the point Bill Gates is making. High school was a prison for me and I escaped by enlivening my life beyond the classroom. I expanded my high school education by working and thinking in the real world. I support the dissolution of the high school system in favor of either a two year trade school program that guarantees appropriate job placement upon successful completion or an early admission system into a six year university program. High schools today have become social clubs and holding pens that do not focus enough on the human responsibility for creating morality, intellect and a work ethic within each student.