2008-10-03

Why We Need Less College Graduates

Yes, Bluto. Suprising but true, I'm against it.

Why?

Well, I'm very much in sympathy with the basic thrust of this article.

We've created an unnecessary expectation that our children will go to college. Yet in too many cases, it is just a well-funded period of prolonged neoteny and adolescent alcoholism rather than a time for the mind and spirit to be formed.

I really wish we would follow the lead of other countries that reserve a liberal education for those who can take it with good effect, and focus on vocational training for the vast majority of people who cannot (or will not) succeed in college.

5 comments:

Tim said...

OK, I must take issue with you. It's not "less college graduates," but "fewer college graduates." "Less" is used to compare amounts, while "fewer" is used to compare actual numbers.

It helps to be married to an English teacher.

Chris Larimer said...

True enough. We've been getting lesser college graduates, thus inflating the bachelors degree. We do need fewer.

Hey...that's like the US Dollar!!!

Anonymous said...

I don't know Rev'd Chris. It probably helps to have that Art History B.A. as you tell me which flowers my wife would like better...

Douglas Underhill said...

Oh. My. God.

I agree with you. Basically, without further comment.

I as so stunned, I just had to respond.

Chris Larimer said...

Doug,

I'm not surprised. We both went through the same ineffective process:
1) Marginalization in middle school, followed by escape into a fantasy world of amazing personal potency.
2) Excellence in high school, creating opportunities to further one's education at a decent school.
3) Going to said decent school and finding a bunch of mouth-breathing Neanderthals are also going to get a degree from there (in something like business or some-such).
4) Going to a defective mainline post-graduate institution and receiving a discipline-introductory professional bachelors degree which has been unjustifiably inflated into a masters because "well...I already have a bachelor's degree...."

Given that commonality...how could we escape agreeing on just about everything.