Additional Schooling or not?

HOW much education is necessary to earn a living? The answer varies from one country to another. It seems in many lands that the level of schooling needed to support oneself is higher than it was a few years ago. In some cases the minimum schooling required by law is not enough.

No doubt this is why an increasing number of graduates are heading back to school rather than to the workplace. Indeed, the rewards seem attractive. The New York Times cites an Economic Policy Institute report that found that “working men with only high school diplomas suffered a 7.4 percent erosion in the value of their wages from 1979 to 1987, while the wages of male college graduates rose 7 percent.”

College graduates receive degrees that can open the door to employment opportunities. William B. Johnston, a senior researcher at the Hudson Institute, says: “The college degree, or even the evidence of having participated in college, has become the nation’s major form of job certification.”

On the other hand, it must be acknowledged that many college graduates struggle to find work, and they are not immune to layoffs. “The majority of my friends who graduated with me do not have jobs,” says 22-​year-​old Karl. Jim, 55, graduated with honors from a prestigious university but was laid off in February 1992. His diploma did not save him, nor did it help him to find steady work. “Your foundation turns out to be sand,” he says.

Like Jim, quite a few college graduates have found themselves in what U.S.News & World Report calls “white-​collar purgatory”​—too young to retire, too old to be hired by another company.

Therefore, while college may have benefits, clearly it is not a panacea. Nor is it the only option. Herbert Kohl writes in The Question Is College: “There are many successful people who didn’t go to college and many decent jobs that do not require college degrees.” One corporation, for example, hires noncollege people for positions often held by college graduates. Rather than looking for degrees, the company seeks applicants who demonstrate the ability to succeed. “Once we find that person,” says a spokesman, “we assume we can teach [him] specific job skills.”

Yes, many have provided well for themselves and their families without the benefit of a college degree. Some of these have taken courses at vocational schools, technical schools, or community colleges, at a minimal investment of time and money.a Others have developed a trade or a service without any form of specialized training at all. With a record of dependability, they have managed to maintain steady employment.

A Balanced View

Of course, no form of schooling​—including college or any other supplementary education—​provides a guarantee of success. Moreover, the Bible accurately notes that “the scene of this world is changing.” (1 Corinthians 7:31) What is in demand today may be worthless tomorrow.

Thus, a person considering supplementary education would do well to weigh carefully the pros and cons. ‘Can I afford the cost? What type of environment and associates would I be exposed to? Would the courses impart practical training that would enable me to support myself? Would it help me to provide for a family if I eventually get married?’ Supportive parents may be able to provide valuable counsel in line with the responsibility that the Bible places on them. (Deuteronomy 4:10; 6:4-9; 11:18-21; Proverbs 4:1, 2) If you are considering the financial benefits of supplementary education or any other aspect of it, Jesus’ words are appropriate: “Who of you that wants to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense, to see if he has enough to complete it?”​—Luke 14:28.

Indeed, whether to pursue supplementary education is a decision that should be weighed carefully. A Christian always bears in mind Jesus’ words at Matthew 6:33: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and [your heavenly Father’s] righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” Among genuine Christians, those without additional education are not looked down upon or treated as inferior, nor are those with extended education ostracized or dismissed as high-​minded. The apostle Paul wrote: “Who are you to judge the house servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for Jehovah can make him stand.”​—Romans 14:4.

Jesus reflected this balanced view. He did not despise those who were “unlettered and ordinary,” nor did he hold back from selecting well-​educated Paul to accomplish a powerful evangelizing work. (Acts 4:13; 9:10-16) In either situation education must be kept in its place, as the following article will show.

[Footnotes]

[Box on page 5]

Supplementary Education

The Watchtower of November 1, 1992, noted concerning Jehovah’s Witnesses and the full-​time ministry: “The general trend in many lands is that the level of schooling required to earn decent wages is now higher than it was a few years ago. . . . It is difficult to find jobs with decent wages after completing simply the minimum schooling required by law . . .

“What is meant by ‘decent wages’? . . . Their wages might be termed ‘adequate,’ or ‘satisfactory,’ if what they earn allows them to live decently while leaving them sufficient time and strength to accomplish their Christian ministry.”

So The Watchtower said: “No hard-​and-​fast rules should be made either for or against extra education.”