3 ms·

I am afraid you are wrong there. It’s a myth that the reason we have public funding of higher education is to help people get nice jobs. We have public funding

by alanh 11y ago

I am afraid you are wrong there. It’s a myth that the reason we have public funding of higher education is to help people get nice jobs. We have public funding of higher education because a better educated populace is a better democracy and a better public. It's an intrinsic value. See also: http://www.salon.com/2014/06/08/colleges_are_full_of_it_behind_the_three_decade_scheme_to_raise_tuition_bankrupt_generations_and_hypnotize_the_media/ http://www.salon.com/2014/06/08/colleges_are_full_of_it_behi...

Futurebot 11y ago
That has long been the romantic ideal, but it no longer matches the reality in a hypercompetitive, filter-laden job market and economy: https://hbr.org/2015/10/firms-are-wasting-millions-recruiting-on-only-a-few-campuses https://hbr.org/2015/10/firms-are-wasting-millions-recruitin... http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21640316-children-rich-and-powerful-are-increasingly-well-suited-earning-wealth-and-power http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21640316-children-ric... http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21646985-american-model-higher-education-spreading-it-good-producing-excellence http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21646985-americ...
Pinckney 11y ago
If that were the case, why can't you get federal aid as a non-degree seeking student? Do I need credentials to contribute to a better democracy?
- alanh 11y ago
  I can only imagine that limiting loans and aid to the pursuit of an accredited degree makes the difference between financing a lifestyle and financing something that is guaranteed worthwhile (if we believe accreditation).
HillaryBriss 11y ago
Something must be missing from the US formulation of "better democracy through education." We spend a huge sum of money on "education" in the US, but the two-party, democratic government we have obtained for ourselves has left a huge fraction of the people dissatisfied and impoverished.

by alanh 11y ago

Futurebot 11y ago

That has long been the romantic ideal, but it no longer matches the reality in a hypercompetitive, filter-laden job market and economy: https://hbr.org/2015/10/firms-are-wasting-millions-recruiting-on-only-a-few-campuses https://hbr.org/2015/10/firms-are-wasting-millions-recruitin... http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21640316-children-rich-and-powerful-are-increasingly-well-suited-earning-wealth-and-power http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21640316-children-ric... http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21646985-american-model-higher-education-spreading-it-good-producing-excellence http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21646985-americ...

Pinckney 11y ago

If that were the case, why can't you get federal aid as a non-degree seeking student? Do I need credentials to contribute to a better democracy?

alanh 11y ago
I can only imagine that limiting loans and aid to the pursuit of an accredited degree makes the difference between financing a lifestyle and financing something that is guaranteed worthwhile (if we believe accreditation).

HillaryBriss 11y ago

Something must be missing from the US formulation of "better democracy through education." We spend a huge sum of money on "education" in the US, but the two-party, democratic government we have obtained for ourselves has left a huge fraction of the people dissatisfied and impoverished.