[Rhodes22-list] Free Education

[Steve Alm]

Brad and Lloyd,
Yeah, I think you're right.  College isn't for everyone nor should it be.
Brad, what you're talking about in China is what we call in this country,
"Tracking" and it's considered a failed strategy.  YOU scored well on the
tests so you become a physicist.  YOU scored poorly on the tests so you
become a carpenter.  This just doesn't wash with Americans, esp. the
educators.  They have the Henry Higgins attitude that they can educate
anyone.
Slim

On 1/23/03 4:55 PM, "brad haslett" <flybrad@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Slim,
> 
> There is a lot of wisdom in what you said.  Frankly, I
> think there is too much emphasis placed on college.
> We need auto mechanics, heat & air folks, carpenters,
> etc.  Try and find a good one!  Kids graduate from
> four years of college with a BA in Underwater
> Basketweaving and then bitch about not being able to
> find a job. Grad school makes it even worse. I like
> China's approach; you have the grades, you go to
> college, poor grades and you go to trade school or
> work.  My father taught me to believe that all work is
> dignified.  There are enough "suits" in our economy.
> Now if I could just convince my very expensive college
> age children of that!
> 
> Brad
> --- Steve Alm <salm@mn.rr.com> wrote:
>> As our illustrious former Gov. Jesse Ventura said
>> after cutting millions
>> from the Univ. of MN spurring an immediate tuition
>> hike, "If you're smart
>> enough to get into college, you should be able to
>> figure out how to pay for
>> it."
>> 
>> Although it was yet another example of his
>> shoot-from-the-hip comments, I
>> think there's a little wisdom there.  Maybe just a
>> little.  But if a college
>> education was a free and easy thing, wouldn't that
>> make any advanced degree
>> more common and less distinguishing?  Further, in
>> order to make their
>> programs look like they're working, there would be a
>> big push to get
>> everybody graduated--so they'd have to dumb down the
>> programs to achieve
>> this.  Instead of "No child left behind" it would be
>> "No dorm-squatting,
>> reefer-blowing coed left behind."  [grin]
>> 
>> Show me the money!  We have enough trouble funding
>> K-12.  But I'm in favor
>> of finding ways to make college more available to
>> more people.  Bush is now
>> at loggerheads within his own cabinet on Affirmative
>> Action.
>> Quotas...whatever!  Let them in.  Let everybody in.
>> Even ere on the side of
>> letting anybody in.  But Don't lower the bar to get
>> out!!!!  Not even the
>> first class.  Calculus 101 isn't supposed to be
>> easy.
>> 
>> But for the good students, we need to find more
>> creative ways of helping
>> them get through.  For you parents out there who are
>> putting your kids
>> through college, OWCH!  I feel your pain.  Tuition
>> is outrageous.  Bring
>> back the GI Bill.  What do you say we make a new tax
>> (gasp!) on companies
>> that require a college degree for employment?  That
>> money goes to the
>> colleges and universities (but not Bob Jones
>> University) and offsets the
>> tuition. We could call it the dorm-squatting,
>> reefer-blowing tax.
>> 
>> Last thought: Cuba has one of, if not the highest
>> literacy rate in the
>> world.  And almost everybody goes to college.  Has
>> that helped Cubans or
>> Cuba herself?  I'd like hearing from any of you who
>> know more about higher
>> ed in Cuba.
>> 
>> Slim
>> 
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