At first glance it looks just like any other school, but beyond the doors it's a whole new world. You can hardly believe your eyes. There's a romantic-smelling flower shop; a Cordon Bleu restaurant complete with colonial decor and chandeliers; a bank with a vault, security cameras and two teller windows; a cheerful, free day care centre for children of students and a garage with eight bays and a noisy machine shop.
These 'businesses' are run by pupils at Brattleboro Union High School in Vermont, as part of an innovative vocational programme for those who are not going on to college. A total of 14 programmes teach practical skills including secretarial and computing that students can use when they leave. It is all non-profit and the students are not paid. A full-course meal in the restaurant (trout florentine etc) costs about $2.50. To get used to the working world, students punch in with a time clock and rotate jobs within their particular programme. Each business has an adult professional overseeing it, but the students handle day-to-day operations and make most of the important decisions.