I agree, the traditional school track of 1960s forward was all geared to learn in college, be a teacher, accountant, lawyer, or doctor. This is what my father believed we had to do. With one exception teacher, only for girls.
Well back then they had vocational training, this was before the Department of Education. Now they tried to make all the same in the name of equality. What bunk, as most were not going to be teachers, accountants, lawyers and doctors, rather they would be millwrights and carpenters, electricians, plumbers, repairmen, machinists, and tool and die makers, which used to be taught in HS, even in the 50s, but somehow the singing masters thought a machinist was not as good as teacher, account, lawyer and doctor. What baloney, few are these go on that far in school, while most want to get to work, not spend years in college and more in grad school.
We lost the American workforce, and some think it is wages have to be too high; this would not be true if HS grads were able to perform skilled work. Education in the US public schools killed jobs for Americans.