George Leef joins Andy Nash on InsideAcademia.tv for this week’s conversation exploring college’s distorted sense of institutional importance, and what alternatives students might have outside of a campus education. Leef, of the John William Pope Center, is of course also a regular contributor to Phi Beta Cons. This is a good episode, worth sharing with sons, daughters, nieces and nephews, on a core aspect of the higher ed debate, and their future. You can watch more at InsideAcademia.tv or subscribe on YouTube for each week’s new episode.
The Military Channel had a two part program on twin brothers who like to work on cars and who have started a small company that builds low tech vehicles for the military that will run through tunnels and one that is a one man armored car. They are having fun and now have a 50,000 square foot production facility.
Tell me again why college is necessary ? I have three degrees but that was 50 years ago when you learned something. My youngest daughter's first year curriculum was all left wing cr*p, some of it not just a matter of opinion but untrue.
There are some stats that still indicate that non-college graduates are more likely to be unemployed, and have lower salaries. But that group is distorted by many that also didn't finish high school, and had prison records. If you control for all other factors other than college, like prison records, HS graduation, and intelligence test scores, then I suspect comparisons between college and non-college graduates would be much closer, and would support your contention that college is overvalued.
I think the real truth is that college does not directly improve your employability that much, but people who have the instelligence, drive, and family support to graduate from college, are more employable due to their intrinsic merit, not what they got out of college. The problem is that many employers still do call for a degree for many responsible positions, as a screening device, so those that did not go to college, even if they do have what it takes, may not get the chance to prove it.
It would be much better if employers were still allowed to give IQ tests, or aptitude tests, without worrying about discrimination suits. Then they could measure skills directly, and would no longer need a college degree as a screening device.
A majority of students who attend college today, have neither the aptitude nor inclination to do REAL college level work. Degrees in the social sciences are worthless and teach NOTHING.
A high school degree of 50 years ago produced a student with a higher level of education and knowledge than a graduate with a BA BS 4 year College Certification today.
The Military Channel had a two part program on twin brothers who like to work on cars and who have started a small company that builds low tech vehicles for the military that will run through tunnels and one that is a one man armored car. They are having fun and now have a 50,000 square foot production facility.
Tell me again why college is necessary ? I have three degrees but that was 50 years ago when you learned something. My youngest daughter's first year curriculum was all left wing cr*p, some of it not just a matter of opinion but untrue.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThere are some stats that still indicate that non-college graduates are more likely to be unemployed, and have lower salaries. But that group is distorted by many that also didn't finish high school, and had prison records. If you control for all other factors other than college, like prison records, HS graduation, and intelligence test scores, then I suspect comparisons between college and non-college graduates would be much closer, and would support your contention that college is overvalued.
I think the real truth is that college does not directly improve your employability that much, but people who have the instelligence, drive, and family support to graduate from college, are more employable due to their intrinsic merit, not what they got out of college. The problem is that many employers still do call for a degree for many responsible positions, as a screening device, so those that did not go to college, even if they do have what it takes, may not get the chance to prove it.
It would be much better if employers were still allowed to give IQ tests, or aptitude tests, without worrying about discrimination suits. Then they could measure skills directly, and would no longer need a college degree as a screening device.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseA majority of students who attend college today, have neither the aptitude nor inclination to do REAL college level work. Degrees in the social sciences are worthless and teach NOTHING.
A high school degree of 50 years ago produced a student with a higher level of education and knowledge than a graduate with a BA BS 4 year College Certification today.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse