Some wisdom for students, from Walter Russell Mead, on how to survive the coming popping of the academic bubble.
6 thoughts on “Back To School”
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Some wisdom for students, from Walter Russell Mead, on how to survive the coming popping of the academic bubble.
Comments are closed.
Nothing new here, just the continuing decades old debate on the role of higher education. Unfortunately too many folks view higher education as “job training” instead of “wisdom acquisition”. The former students will always be disappointed while the later will adapt and survive. The problem is too many schools treat students as customers instead of students.
Good article but the author definitely underrates physics.
As the author suggests, the bureaucracy and academic bubbles are complimentary – they feed each other. I am not sure the bureaucracy bubble is going to end anytime soon though, that is a tap that only turns one way.
Nothing new here, just the continuing decades old debate on the role of higher education. Unfortunately too many folks view higher education as “job training” instead of “wisdom acquisition”. The former students will always be disappointed while the later will adapt and survive. The problem is too many schools treat students as customers instead of students.
The thing is, colleges aren’t particularly good at either task and collectively they’re getting worse. Couple that with rising costs driven in large part by uncritical government subsidy and you have a problem that is unmatched in human history, well at least part that is the history of education and related endeavors.
Karl,
Depends on the school. The big name schools definitely have developed an air of self importance that has negatively impacted their teaching.
I think you have the “job training” and “wisdom acquisition” roles switched.
Where higher education succeeds is as advanced job training, whether for retail managers, engineers, doctors, and yes, even attorneys. Where education falls down is in wisdom acquisition, specifically, liberal arts education as indoctrination and alculteration of the leadership class.
Paul,
[[[Where education falls down is in wisdom acquisition, specifically, liberal arts education as indoctrination and alculteration of the leadership class.]]]
Yes, keep them from reading the classics and learning to think for themselves. Not only does it makes them better workers, but also makes it easier for Fox News to do their thinking for them….
BTW that was the Soviet approach to education, a jobs training model very big on the “practical” subjects, like Science, Engineering, etc. but with no comprehensive exposure to literature, philosophy or history.