My name is Riley Smith and I am a Cosmetology Instructor of SMIHA. I am responding in reference to the upcoming hour changes for a future cosmetology student. 

My thoughts on the change is that it will harm the cosmetology industry more than help it. I teach courses such as Anatomy, Skin Structure, Nail Structure, Facials, and even Nail Curriculum and my experience with students is that they absolutely want the theory part of the curriculum due to helping with understanding the practical portion. It is already difficult now to engage students into doing practical activities if they don't understand the underlying education. For example, when a student is attempting to do a haircut and I reference a bone on the skull to part at, the student doesn't understand what that is if the underlying knowledge is not taught. 

This industry deserves stylists who are more than happy to perform services with confidence but confidence in this industry comes from not only practice but knowing what you're doing. You can only know what you're doing if you understand underlying education and context clues.