Thots on Education

[DanS.]

I'm watching a PBS thing-a-mabob on our local economy and how education
can spur it. There are few local policy leaders on there, i.e. VP of
Notre Dame, Chamber of Commerce CEO, and State Sec. of Education.

There's much lip service paid to "the meaning of education" by them
all. So, what is "the meaning of education?"

They all say it begins in the home. I agree, of course. Parents need
to instill in their children a sense of the importance of a meaningful
education.

So, if someone goes to school to get a MBA, and they get a job
redesigning a cereal boxes, the meaning of their MBA is pert near zero.
However, if they work at an upstart and build it into a successful
organization, employing many, the value of their education is
exponential.

The same with an English degree. If they get out of college and get a
job in customer service, they've basically just wasted a very valuable
education. However, if they write the next great American novel, or
teach a roomful of inner-city hoodlums how to write and speak in
complete sentences, and possibly inspire in them a love of language,
they've more than fulfilled their expectations of their program of
choice.

So, all this talk about "meaning" of education is pointless in this job
market. Kids getting out of college are struggling to find work. They
graduate with expectations that they deserve something from society and
don't have to work for it. Give me a job, not, I'll start the business
to give others jobs. Ok, I've got my English degree, now I need a job,
not, let me tutor one child in English so he can graduate literate.

I'm bearish on this "meaning of education" thing right now where it
neglects the work necessary to rebuild our faltering economy.

[DanS.]

DanS. added the following to the totality of all human wisdom on
1/23/2011 in writing

I'm watching a PBS thing-a-mabob on our local economy and how education can
spur it. There are few local policy leaders on there, i.e. VP of Notre Dame,
Chamber of Commerce CEO, and State Sec. of Education.
There's much lip service paid to "the meaning of education" by them all. So,
what is "the meaning of education?"
They all say it begins in the home. I agree, of course. Parents need to
instill in their children a sense of the importance of a meaningful
education.
So, if someone goes to school to get a MBA, and they get a job redesigning a
cereal boxes, the meaning of their MBA is pert near zero. However, if they
work at an upstart and build it into a successful organization, employing
many, the value of their education is exponential.
The same with an English degree. If they get out of college and get a job in
customer service, they've basically just wasted a very valuable education.
However, if they write the next great American novel, or teach a roomful of
inner-city hoodlums how to write and speak in complete sentences, and
possibly inspire in them a love of language, they've more than fulfilled
their expectations of their program of choice.
So, all this talk about "meaning" of education is pointless in this job
market. Kids getting out of college are struggling to find work. They
graduate with expectations that they deserve something from society and don't
have to work for it. Give me a job, not, I'll start the business to give
others jobs. Ok, I've got my English degree, now I need a job, not, let me
tutor one child in English so he can graduate literate.
I'm bearish on this "meaning of education" thing right now where it neglects
the work necessary to rebuild our faltering economy.

Oops, wrong group again.