"For us, I think college is important because it broadens the possibilities that open up to you. I've tried to tell the kids, don't ever quit learning."
-Kelly Bates
Gil and Kelly Bates encourage all their children to attend college, but they also know that higher education isn't for everyone. Still, no matter what fields their kids pursue, the parents of 19 want them to be lifelong learners. In this video, filmed in 2015 but still relevant, Tori Bates (now Tori Smith) shares how she went from being unsure about starting college to loving it and earning a bachelor's degree.
Photo/video courtesy of UPtv
I’m so glad they encouraged it!
ReplyDeleteCollege isn’t just about getting a degree... it’s about getting to know people from different backgrounds, places, beliefs, races, etc...who become your friends for life. If you move out of state/country it’s about learning how to be independent and take care of your own life. And in a lot of cases, you end up meeting the person you end up marrying!
And yeah, learning about a subject that you love and engaging in conversation and debate about current events that relate to your degree is really interesting and challenging too
I’m 21 and in my senior year of economics and I don’t regret getting my degree or attending college at all! I’m currently doing my semester abroad, and I’m having a blast in Spain :)
I’m glad to hear their views on higher education. The Duggars don’t seem to push education. Learning is a lifelong process. Bravo Bates!!
ReplyDeleteWhy must we continually compare? This isn't a competition to see which family has the most college graduates.
DeleteAnonymous @ 3:09 how about we compare your family to your good friends? The Bates and Duggar families are similar, yes. However they're not the same people and will do lots of things differently. Let's stop with the comparisons.
DeleteIt's only natural to compare these two families. It's not being mean or judgmental. I find it interesting that while both follow a fundamentalist Baptist/IBLP doctrine and both homeschool, there are different approaches to post-secondary education. It's especially evident with the young women.
Delete3 of the Duggar son in laws pursue higher education. I hope it catches on with the Duggar siblings too.
ReplyDeleteDid Chad go to college or trade school of any kind? He certainly has a lot of good skills to support a family even if he didn’t take the school route.
I would like to see more of both Duggars and Bates with college degrees. Chances are they won't all have reality shows to depend on financially.
Deletegreat to hear this. GREAT FAMILY TOO! mary keim mennonite
ReplyDeleteI think Kelly and Gil are different than the Duggars on college because they are college grads themselves. The Duggar parents didn't go beyond highschool.
ReplyDeleteI do find this video from 2015 unusual because the Prof is already talking about when the students are teachers. Usually the first 3-4 years of college are spent studying for your degree in English, Math, Science for example, and then only the last year or two is teacher's college. Tori went to college for only 4 years (was that 3 for a degree in a "teachable" subject and one year teacher's college). Or is Crown College just a degree in Education itself, rather than a degree in a teachable subject?
An Elementary Education degree typically only takes 4 years.
DeleteNot true 5:22. You can get the degree in four years, but can NOT become a certified teacher without a masters.
DeleteIt only takes a 4 years to get a certified teaching degree. You need a masters to be a principal.
DeleteEducation credentials and requirements are regulated at the state level. Thus, while some states may make it impossible to earn a credential until a four year degree is granted, others allow for the credential to be earned as part of the undergraduate degree. Though I did not earn my credential until after I graduated, I began my education coursework my sophmore year (and I was an English major).
DeleteHi, certified teacher here. In the U.S. a person wanting to teach elementary school needs a bachelor of science in elementary education. As a high school teacher, I needed a degree in secondary education as well as a degree in the content area in which I wanted to teach (English, in my case). Earning a double degree takes work but many people do it and it’s easily achievable in 4 years. After that I applied for my certification. Maybe it’s different in other countries, but here you don’t need an advanced degree to get certified, just a bachelors (although you can get paid more if you get your masters).
DeleteI have a 4 year degree in k-12 special education, and completed a fifth year for elementary education 1-6 licensure. Later, I earned a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction, which took another year. This helped boost my salary quite a bit.
DeleteI taught over 30 years in elementary. I went 4 years for the BS in ED and student taught, went to post graduate courses at night school,and was hired the month I graduated. I only had 3 weeks off and then worked. Each state has different qualifications. Hope this answers some questions. God bless you.
DeleteIt's so nice the Bates and Duggars can have differing views without being criticized.
ReplyDeletePerfectly stated, Kelly!!!
ReplyDeleteGood for them!
ReplyDeleteThat is a good way of thinking!
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful for my 4 years of college and 2 years of grad school at PCC (Bobby Smith's alma mater)! It broadened my life in many ways. If I could go back and be a college student there again, I would, but now we're at the phase in life where we're getting kids ready to head off to college in a few years. It's great to be family-centered like these two larger families, but it's also so helpful to learn from others as well, and to be placed in situations as a young adult where you don't have Mom and Dad there constantly to help you out. It helps you learn to trust in the Lord to guide you instead, and develops your faith.
ReplyDeleteA person should never quit learning, but college is not the only place to get it. In fact, I learned so much more outside college than I ever did in it-and I studied and didn't party or even live on campus.
ReplyDeleteExactly! College or not we should all never stop learning.
DeleteI would say that a lot of what is actually learned in college is outside of the classroom.
DeleteI never went to college. My parents never wanted me to go to college they did thing I could handle it. They never wanted me to work either.
DeleteExactly right, Kelly!!! Well said!
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we just have a nice comment without comparing families, people or siblings. It just sounds hurtful and unnecessary.God Bless...Jane
ReplyDeleteI once took care of a 85 yr.old woman and she was still in college from the time she was 18...She never stopped going to school...she knew six languages and was studying Japanese writing when I worked for her...She was amazing😇
ReplyDelete