> education is mostly a signalling arms race. There is certainly a LOT of signaling involved in education. As a college dropout and self taught developer this

> education is mostly a signalling arms race. There is certainly a LOT of signaling involved in education. As a college dropout and self taught developer this is intimately clear to me. However, I have traveled enough of the world and lived enough places to see what happens when education systems are weak or non-existent. I think you underestimate the degree to which high levels of illiteracy and innumeracy absolutely destroy the potential for economic growth and prosperity. It is possibly true that we (the USA) consume more education than is pragmaticly optimal. However, removing public education would result in a loss of economic output that far exceeds the savings. Predicting who will need that education sufficiently accurately is imposy for both society as a whole and for individuals contemplating their future.