Education- Present Day

In the novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a large variety of the characters depended merely on education by life experiences rather then typical book learning. At this time, culture allowed for people to not be formally educated. However, in present day society, education is heavily relied upon in order to succeed.

Today’s society calls for children to begin their formal education around the age of five and finally graduate schooling at eighteen. The government administers education through the public school system; each state is required to provide a school system in which all children may receive an education. The Equal Education Opportunities Act of 1974 provides that no state shall deny equal educational opportunity to an individual on the basis of race, color, sex, or national origin (“Education”). In addition to public schools, parents have the opportunity to enroll their child in private school or provide home schooling.

Following graduation at the age of eighteen, many graduates continue to go onto further schooling at a college or university. Without a college degree, there are a limited amount of careers one can enter. Many jobs require some sort of post high school education or degree. The most recent available statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor show the unemployment rate for high school graduates with no college experience was 14 percent. The unemployment rate in 2003 for young people with college degrees, in contrast, was 7 percent (Dobbs).In addition, with a college degree, you have a greater chance of being financially well off. “Workers 18 and over sporting bachelors degrees earn an average of $51,206 a year, while those with a high school diploma earn $27,915. Workers with an advanced degree make an average of $74,602, and those without a high school diploma average $18,734 (Longley).”

In conclusion, the world we live in requires for one to be well educated. This is apparent in the career opportunities and salaries offered to those with high levels of education, distinct to our culture. Formal education in present day society is quite different from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, where most of the characters were able to get by on education by life experiences.

Sources Cited:
-Dobbs, Lou. "Life Without College." CNN. Feb. 2005. CNN. 10 Aug. 2007 http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/15/life.without.college/.
-"Education." Cornell University of Law. Cornell University. 10 Aug. 2007 http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/index.php/Education.
-Longley, Robert. "College Degree Nearly Doubles Annual Earnings." 2004. 10 Aug. 2007 http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/censusandstatistics/a/collegepays.htm.