In his Not-the-State-of-the-Union-But-Kind-of-Like-It Address last week, President Obama called for every American to go to college. Some people think that’s a bad idea. Like Richard Vedder. Makes sense. He’s a college professor. And a member of the Commission on Higher Education, which was formed by a former Secretary of Education.
Professor Vedder says, “Not everyone can or should go to college. Given the dubious quality of our secondary schools” [duh] “as well as limited cognitive skills and motivation,” [cogni-wuh?] “many students are incapable of college-level work." Vedder also said that fulfilling Obama’s goal “would lead to many students failing, resources being squandered and the quality of postsecondary education being diluted.”
He's soooo right!
And actually, come to think of it, why does everyone have to go to high school? Or middle school? I know sixth graders who are, like, so unmotivated. It’s a travesty. And there was this girl in kindergarten with me who was held back because she couldn’t get her ABCs right. They let her continue going to school anyway. It was such a squandering of resources. My learning experience was severely diluted.
Why does everyone need to know how to read anyway? Why don’t we just pre-select the people we think deserve to go to college and will do really well at it? They’re the only ones who need it. Plus, they can probably pay for it. They can have all the cool, important jobs. Everyone else can operate machines and stuff. And with all the money and time and resources we save by educating only the people who really deserve it, we can build country clubs and yachting societies and golf courses where the educated people can hang out when they’re not learning stuff so they don’t get all ickily diluted.
What do you think? Is Vedder right?
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