Education Exposed by Oliver DeMille

Published: Tue, 10/28/14

Education Exposed

By Oliver DeMille

Hire and Higher and Hire

Education Exposed Just read the following quote. It is incredibly powerful:

"Universities...have been absorbed into the commercial ethos. Instead of being intervals of freedom, they are breeding grounds for advancement. Students are too busy jumping through the next hurdle in the résumé race to figure out what they really want.... They have been inculcated with a lust for prestige and a fear of doing things that might put their status at risk. The system educates them to be excellent, but excellent sheep."

This is a profound and all too accurate description of our current educational system. It was written in the New York Times by David Brooks, as a summary of a William Deresiewicz's essay in his book Excellent Sheep.

Let's briefly consider each main point:
  • "Universities...have been absorbed into the commercial ethos. Instead of being intervals of freedom, they are breeding grounds for advancement."

This is true of schools in general today, at all levels. Most people now see the goal of almost all schools as job preparation, as Hire Education instead of Higher Education.

In this model, the quality of learning isn't important. Job placement is the goal, and drives the whole educational system.

 
 
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