The Wall Street Journal had an OpEd piece about College Education
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124545278041532805.html
The authors talk about how we can expand access to college education. Sounds like a good idea - does it not? I mean, who in their right mind will oppose expanding opportunities for EDUCATION? I mean, who? Well, for one, I will. WHAT?? I can almost hear the screams - I would oppose expanding opportunities? No, not in the sense one may think, but I do, given the state of education in general today and college education in particular.
My concerns are with what college education has become. We have, I believe, cheapened the educational experience for all by trying to make it reachable for all. We seem more concerned with how many students do not stay in college rather than if the students are prepared or not. We are not critical to what the kids learn in K-12 since we have no control over that. GPA's and recommendations from High Schools do not mean much. It seems (to me) that what most school systems want is to be able to say that they have graduated so many students with so much GPA etc etc - whether or not the students are capable of learning OR whether they have actually learned anything seems irrelevant. We have cheapened education, much to our detriment.
I seem to be on a tear on this issue ...
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/19/pm_letters/
Education is of enormous importance for me. Of all of the gifts that I received growing up, it was education that was the most precious - and how all consuming that was to my parents. I have earned and lost a great many things in my life, but have that gift of education and now of educating. It remains crucial to me and will always be.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124545278041532805.html
The authors talk about how we can expand access to college education. Sounds like a good idea - does it not? I mean, who in their right mind will oppose expanding opportunities for EDUCATION? I mean, who? Well, for one, I will. WHAT?? I can almost hear the screams - I would oppose expanding opportunities? No, not in the sense one may think, but I do, given the state of education in general today and college education in particular.
My concerns are with what college education has become. We have, I believe, cheapened the educational experience for all by trying to make it reachable for all. We seem more concerned with how many students do not stay in college rather than if the students are prepared or not. We are not critical to what the kids learn in K-12 since we have no control over that. GPA's and recommendations from High Schools do not mean much. It seems (to me) that what most school systems want is to be able to say that they have graduated so many students with so much GPA etc etc - whether or not the students are capable of learning OR whether they have actually learned anything seems irrelevant. We have cheapened education, much to our detriment.
I seem to be on a tear on this issue ...
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/19/pm_letters/
Education is of enormous importance for me. Of all of the gifts that I received growing up, it was education that was the most precious - and how all consuming that was to my parents. I have earned and lost a great many things in my life, but have that gift of education and now of educating. It remains crucial to me and will always be.
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