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Or instead, like most other advanced societies, we could stop trying to quantify higher education in purely personal economic return on investment grounds and c
by CPLX 8y ago
Or instead, like most other advanced societies, we could stop trying to quantify higher education in purely personal economic return on investment grounds and consider an educated populace a public good.
- tikhonj 8y agoIf education rather than credentialing was the overwhelming driver, a priority should be providing education to people without credentialing built-in, in a form factor that's a lot more flexible than a classic four-year degree. Ideally, it should be easy for people to educate themselves on their own pace, even as they are doing other things at the same time (like working). I somehow expect a system focused just on education like this would not have the ballooning costs we see now. The incessant obsession with multi-year degree-granting programs specifically is a lot more about the degree than the education.
- vertex-four 8y agoI mean, in the U.K., if you’re interested in learning at your own pace, every university has at least some form of part-time course, local FE colleges do part time courses regularly, and there’s the Open University if you want to work towards a degree part-time. This is an American problem, not one to do with the concept of being able to prove you’ve completed an education.
- foldr 8y agoThis is missing the point. There are plenty of flexible educational opportunities in the US too (e.g. community colleges). Both the UK and the US (and I say this as someone who's taught at universities in both countries) face the problem that the majority of people going to college now are going just because they need a degree to get a job, not because they have any interest in learning anything. Education is a public good. Forcing people through diploma mills isn't.
- mrguyorama 8y agoPart time education in america is still expensive
- foldr 8y agoIt's not free in the UK. The open university certainly isn't cheap.
- vertex-four 8y agoYou get the OU funded the same way you get regular university funded, in Scotland at least.
- foldr 8y agoWell, yes, you can fund it by borrowing the money, but only if you don't already have a degree.
- extra88 8y agoCompared to what? Taking one three-credit course at Bunker Hill Community College is $558, taking four three-credit courses is $2,232 ($3,925 with health insurance) [0]. At City College of San Francisco (one I picked for to have a west coast option) is $138 for one typical course and $552 for four (that's just tuition but other fees are extremely low). If you're taking courses at a private college part-time, sure their tuition is a lot higher; taking just one course like Fundamentals of Instructional Technology from RIT Online is $3,243 [2]. Four-year public universities will probably cost somewhere in-between but it varies a lot by state. [0] https://www.bhcc.edu/tuition/tuitionfees-fall2018/ https://www.bhcc.edu/tuition/tuitionfees-fall2018/ [1] http://www.ccsf.edu/en/student-services/admissions-and-registration/registration/tuition-and-fees.html http://www.ccsf.edu/en/student-services/admissions-and-regis... [2] http://www.rit.edu/ritonline/course/2181-1-HCIN-660-01 http://www.rit.edu/ritonline/course/2181-1-HCIN-660-01
- mrguyorama 8y ago
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- dantheman 8y agoI've been in these 'advanced' societies, and often they have a lower rate of bachelors degrees (with lower requirements) than the US. They track individuals early on to non-college career paths. Also, the quality of the education is not the same.
- skate22 8y agoI really like CS don't get me wrong, but I would not have majored in it if I could get the same ROI on somthing I enjoyed more.
- mkirklions 8y agoThis sounds like/is bad economics. Educated populace in video game history isnt value added like an engineering degree. You can educate yourself in anything, but society only values education in a few value-added sectors.
- sgroppino 8y agoIt is pure economics, supply and demand.
- zip1234 8y agoAlready done. Education is considered a public good. That is why K-12 education is paid for in the US. As far as a higher degree, the landscapers working across the street probably would not benefit from getting a degree and I do not see how the public would benefit from paying for a degree for those guys either. There are a significant number of jobs out there that would not benefit from people getting a degree. There are perhaps classes that might help in regards to those jobs but a degree is not something that would help. Also, the classes that would help are generally provided exceptionally reasonably priced at community colleges.
- gdubs 8y agoThe degree might not matter for certain types of jobs, but the additional education could still enrich people’s lives — and a more educated populace could make for a better society in general.
- zip1234 8y agoDid you read my comment? I mentioned that community colleges already provide additional, cheap, education that fulfill that additional education.
- gdubs 8y agoHonestly missed / misread that last sentence!
- jriot 8y agoLibraries are publicly funded places allowing you to enrich your educational needs. Yet, they have become a homeless shelter.
- bytematic 8y agoI wish this was auto-replied to every comment in this thread. Each tackling the "real" problem with education