The corporate reformers like to say that everyone must go to college if they want to have good jobs in the future, says education historian Diane Ravitch for the Washington Post. Now, let me be clear that I love education and I think everyone should get as much education as they want and should keep on getting better educated all their life. Thanks to the Internet, the means of self-education are easy and inexpensive. But I don’t think that college-for-all is a reasonable goal. There are many young people who don’t want to go to college; they shouldn’t be forced by social pressure to do so. College changes if it is turned into a higher level of compulsory education. It becomes like high school or even junior high school if unwilling and unready students are pushed into college. And the very claim that the jobs of the future require a college education is not true. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of the jobs that will open up in the next few years do not require a B.A. In fact, only about 25% do. The other 75% do not. They need on-the-job training…
…Read MorePodcast Series: Innovations in Education
Explore the full series of eCampus News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
Why university presidents refuse reform
American higher education—long the envy of the world—is facing unprecedented challenges…as the crisis continues to escalate, there is a conspicuous lack of leadership from the presidents and chancellors of educational institutions, says the Washington Post. Many responsible administrators privately admit that there are enormous problems with our system, but almost all of them are unwilling to speak out publicly or put major reforms first on their agenda. Why? There are several basic reasons that presidents and chancellors refuse to approach these issues honestly…
…Read MoreGovt to launch universities revamp
Ministers will on Tuesday set out their plans for a radical shake-up of the English university system the government says is aimed at increasing competition and giving consumer powers to students, the AFP reports. The controversial higher education proposals are expected to enable universities to compete for places while opening the sector up to private competition…
…Read MoreOpinion: Community colleges must commit to change
A new report documents abysmally low student transfer and completion rates at California’s two-year schools. Two L.A.-area campuses have already begun to make changes, say directors at the University of Southern California. California’s community colleges were envisioned by the state’s Master Plan for Higher Education as a low-cost alternative for students to complete the first two years of college before transferring to a four-year school. They were also designed for students whose ultimate educational goal was to attain an associate’s degree or career certification. But a report issued last week calls into question the success of those missions…
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