Big Education

I found this piece by Walter Williams that discusses a few of the problems of higher education. I have seen many people who are talked into college only to end up with a useless degree and fifty thousand dollars of education loans. Most of them work at "Old Navy".

The students think the schools care about them, when really all they want is government money. These poor saps go into programs like "construction management" and truly believe that when they finish Donald Trump is going to put them in charge of his next project. It reminds me of Rodney Dangerfield in "Back To School" telling the class what it really takes to start a business:

"First of all you're going to have to grease the local politicians for the sudden zoning problems that always come up. Then there's the kickbacks to the carpenters, and if you plan on using any cement in this building I'm sure the teamsters would like to have a little chat with ya, and that'll cost ya. Oh and don't forget a little something for the building inspectors. Then there's long term costs such as waste disposal. I don't know if you're familiar with who runs that business but I assure you it's not the boyscouts."

Students should realize if they are pursuing a liberal arts degree the result will be hopefully a broader education and not some mythical advantage in the general workforce. Fifty per cent of a college degree today is just giving you what you missed in public high school. In 1969 SUNY guaranteed every high school graduate a place in college. Back then I thought it was a joke; some of my high school friends couldn't even tie their shoes. If you were a member of the parish you got a desk in the Catholic high school. I think it was Rockefeller that decided that even though you couldn't write your name in the ground with a stick, you were college material.

Instead of investigating Big Oil Congress should investigate Big Education.