FWIW, we don't have much of this "follow your dreams" stuff in UK schools, much more "knuckle down and pass this arbitrary government test" and I'm not sure it makes us turn out radically different to americans in terms of career choices, consumer spending habits etc etc.
I would disagree. The main messages I got from school were:
1. Choose a university subject you are "passionate" about and worry about your career later.
2. Yes, you must go to university or you will die eating rats under a bridge.
3. When you do finally choose your career (at or after university), you must choose an authorised upper middle class career (banker, doctor, lawyer) or die eating rats under a bridge.
4. Equally and at the same time, you must be passionate about your chosen career.
5. If you choose an alternative career:
i. If it is creative/unorthodox then you will have failed to fulfil your potential UNLESS you get mega-famous.
ii. If it is lower level (e.g. Shop assistant or receptionist) then you will have failed to fulfil your potential and will die eating rats under a bridge.
6. Anything less than world domination in your career means you are failing to fulfil your potential and deserve to die eating rats under a bridge.
7. Anything other than overwhelming passion for your career means you will never achieve world domination.
8. No, we cannot tell you what career to choose to fulfil the potential we have arbitrarily decided you have and to make sure you don't die eating rats under a bridge. But don't worry, just choose a subject you're passionate about to study at university (despite the fact that A levels have killed any passion you thought you might have for the subject) and everything will magically be alright.
School is so fucked up.
Wow - this makes my school seem so progressive and modern. it was a mixed comprehensive school, and I remember all the careers guidance being very tailored to individuals.
The UK may be different as you can leave school at 16, and those who weren't interested in school and/or poor academically were encouraged to leave formal school at 16, and consider vocational training, working or apprenticeships. People weren't encouraged to stay in school that did not want to be there.
The academic bunch got the which uni are you applying to, and lots of encouragement to apply - I don't recall the subjects being pushed towards the traditional subjects.
And those in-between were in effect given both options. Nothing was presented as a failure, more a divergence of equally valid paths - which aligns with what we need in society - it's a bit Brave New World, but we do still need these different types of occupations to make our world work.
Shelivesthedream - what sort of school did you go to? I'm suspecting an academically selective private school if they are pushing those messages?