On the lighter side, there is speculation that pretty soon 'Cherem Derabienu Gershom' will be revoked for the simple reason that it takes more then one wife to support a Yungerman in kollel.
To clarify my sentiments. I'm not saying college is the solution. Frankly I don't know what the solution is.
However, sending 18 year old bochurim away to coed colleges/dorms will obviously end in disaster.
But throwing away $100,000+ post-tax dollars (figure $150,000+ earned income) on each kid to go through the current system for nearly a decade and have little to show for it is nearly as disastrous.
Somebody needs to come up with a solution. It will be controversial, but something needs to be done IMO.
As far the degree, what you're attacking is the worldwide system of the degree. But unfortunately these days you need it just to get your foot in the door at a good paying job. Hands on training is fine if you want to do a craft, but other than that you can't necessarily train for something like that without a degree. True, a degree offers no guarantees, but your job options with a degree are much broader than without one.
The yeshiva problem, ie, that some sit there for 10 years, and barely learn, otherwise they can forget about a shidduch, isn't unfortunately patented by chabad. Loads of yeshivas (using the worldwide, not-usa term) have the same problem.
I must admit that in the usa, loads of frum guys at least finnish high school, but in europe/israel its a big minority.
Times are changing slowly (in europe at least), and people slowly start accepting that a bochur of say, 23 will start working, as well as some taking courses via correspondence.
This is becoming more of a trend, as more and more bochrim are children of people that went through the aforementioned system.
Don't get me wrong, a very serious bochur that wants to make a career out of learning is very good. Burning 10 years with little fruits...
In Chabad (AFAIK?) there are just 2 high schools that actually have a quarter-decent secular education (Pittsburgh and LA) The rest of the schools really don't prep these guys for any kind of real world education if they decide that shlichus isn't for them.
There's a strong stigma against secular education...
Correspondence courses aren't bad, but it takes real dedication to be able to actually learn anything in one.
The irony is that when it really comes time to find a shidduch the in-laws want to either see that you're really dedicated to finding shlichus (nearly impossible now unless you're extremely well connected or marry into the right family) or that you can make a livable income. The ones in between though, struggle.
