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Sunday, September 8. 2019

Can American Higher Education Be Restored?

Leef begins his review of Vedder's book:



People who analyze and write about higher education generally fall into two camps. One camp consists of those who believe that our system is “the envy of the world” and just needs more public support to do its great work of improving our citizens and strengthening our economy. (For a sense of what that camp is about, read professor Steven Brint’s book Two Cheers for Higher Education, which I reviewed here.)


The other camp consists of people who conclude that our higher education system draws in far too many students, poorly educates most of them, and costs too much. Unlike the first, which has, so far as I am aware, no conservatives or libertarians, in this camp you find people from all over the political spectrum. Former Harvard president Derek Bok, a liberal, has written Our Underperforming Colleges. And arguably the best-known among the critics is professor Richard Vedder, a thorough-going free market advocate.


Posted by The Barrister in Education at 12:39 | Comments (6) | Trackbacks (0)

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Restrict it to the top 20% of HS students, and you may get it back. Though at this point, I doubt it.
#1 Assistant Village Idiot on 2019-09-08 15:14 (Reply)
This piece from City Journal, though interesting, is sadly illuminating on the rot that began to set in on colleges-and society--in the 60's. https://www.city-journal.org/html/how-my-friends-and-i-wrecked-pomona-college-14331.html
#2 Jon Pananas on 2019-09-08 16:17 (Reply)
It's pointless to talk about "higher" education when the High School education that kids receive today is so terrible. It really couldn't be any worse. The High Schools have failed completely, yet people think that those poor alienated, mistreated, uneducated kids who emerge from the public school disaster can be saved with higher education. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. As the twig is bent, so shall the tree grow. By the time these damaged children reach the university, they are so badly distorted by politics that they will have problems for the rest of their lives.

So before anybody talks about "fixing" the University system, we first need to "fix" the High School system. But it can't be fixed; it's full of ideologues who brainwash and propagandize those poor kids until they are ready to kill somebody.
#3 Ron B Liebermann on 2019-09-08 21:46 (Reply)
If you're interested, here's an article on the declining mental health of students who are entering college: https://theconversation.com/are-you-mentally-well-enough-for-college-118158
#3.1 Ron B Liebermann on 2019-09-09 00:00 (Reply)
Government schools reflect the demands of the administrative state. Whatever is the current fad of the administrative state is what the propaganda machine churns out in the classroom.
#4 indyjonesouthere on 2019-09-08 23:22 (Reply)
Most in the first category are not individuals who are talking about the American university as it exists but rather, back in the sixties when they or their grandpa matriculated.

Most colleges, especially the elite status ones, have taken up a social justice mission.

"Social justice is an actual impediment to acquiring human capital" --Thomas Sowell

And he's correct. College is a detriment to the future of an increasing number of students in areas that require actual knowledge and skill.
#5 JK Brown on 2019-09-09 00:01 (Reply)

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