Corporations Are Turning Public Schools Into Their Workforce Training ‘Pipelines’
The landscape of public education in the United States is rapidly changing, with career and technical education (CTE) programs becoming increasingly prevalent in schools. While CTE programs, formerly known as vocational education, have been part of public schools for some time, a 2022 study reveals a disturbing trend where big businesses and influential actors in the marketplace exploit these programs for their benefit at the expense of students’ needs.
The shift in the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act of 2018 and other legislation has put pressure on CTE programs to align with industry demands. This has allowed corporations and technology companies to influence school curriculum design and the future of millions of children from an early age, potentially leading to a more oppressive learning environment.
The study highlights the annexation of CTE programs by big corporations through the development of tech talent and data extraction pipelines. Advanced digital systems enable data extraction for student profiling and prediction, creating hyper-specialized career pathways for students. This career track can lock students into predetermined futures, resulting in long-term job insecurity.
The study’s authors conducted extensive research involving interviews with families, children, and teachers across several states and analyzed curriculum proposals from big tech companies and policy documents. The results showed a growing concern among parents about having their children’s education tailored to support corporate interests. Parents want more choice and voice for students in their educational paths.
Business interests have further enhanced their control over public education by lobbying for legislation that supports corporate influence. One example is using data tracking systems to evaluate students’ performance and sort them based on the skills desired by businesses, potentially leading to hyperspecialization and societal subjugation.
The study emphasizes the negative consequences of such corporate influence, including long-term job insecurity, societal subjugation, and students’ lack of educational choice. The authors argue that the top-down approach of aligning education programs with business demands is eroding the true purpose of public education and turning schools into agents of surveillance capitalism rather than places for unfettered learning and personal development.
The study raises concerns about the impact of corporate influence on public education and calls for a reevaluation of the current system to ensure that students’ needs and well-rounded education remain the central focus.
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
