EDUCATION - The Worth of College

"College: 'The Best Rehearsal Spaces We Have for Democracy'" PBS Newshour 5/22/2012

Excerpt

SUMMARY: In "College: What it Was, Is, and Should Be," Columbia University professor Andrew Delbanco presents a biting defense of a traditional four-year college experience with a liberal arts education -- as opposed to a pre-professional training experience increasingly popular in a tough economy. Jeffrey Brown hosts the conversation.

COMMENT: I shouldn't have to say, but Mr. Delbanco is not exactly objective. Having said that....

Significant excerpt

ANDREW DELBANCO: ... I think that we want to keep in mind as firmly as we can and we want to defend this historical function of the American college, which is to help students discover themselves and to become citizens, not just competent employees, but thoughtful citizens. And that includes self-criticism.

There are ways to do that by, I think notably, having those students participate in classes which are, in my mind, the best rehearsal spaces we have for democracy. The college classroom should be a place where students learn to speak with civility, to listen with respect to each other, to know the difference between an argument based on evidence and an opinion, and most of all to realize that they might walk into the room with one point of view and they might walk out with another.

That adds up to a certain kind of humility. And I think all of our colleges have the responsibility to try to inculcate that as much as possible.

I totally agree with the above excerpt, and note I did not go to college. Just high school and technical training that gave me a very good career before I retired.

But some reminders from the 'I need a job' view:

• Only some professions REQUIRE a college education (doctors, lawyers, etc.).

• Students need not go to college directly from high school, especially considering the cost. There are other routes; get a job that is in a field you are considering for college (test the waters concept), go to a community college first, just to name two.

• Students need to evaluate the availability of job in the profession/area of study. If the job market is bad, they MAY want to consider another field of study.

• A Liberal Arts degree does give the widest opportunity in getting a job later in life. That is, except for the special professions you need not need college to train for a specific profession. Later you can  work for a more formal degree while on-the-job.

• There is nothing WRONG with technical schools or training. Note that a trained machinist can make more that a person with a college degree, especially in today's job market.

Of course, this is just my opinion.