On 10/28/2010 1:25 PM, jps wrote:
On Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:04:12 -0400, "Paul@BYC"
wrote:
On 10/28/2010 11:27 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 27 Oct 2010 11:35:32 -0700, wrote:
It's pretty obvious you're not a subscriber to higher ed.
I think the idea that everyone should go to college is probably not
valid.
There are plenty of people with liberal arts degrees who never learned
anything helpful in finding a job, yet they are saddled with a
$100,000 student loan that may end up costing them $200,000 or more by
the time they pay it off..
My biggest complaint with the American education establishment is the
degree of vertical integration. There is very little contact with the
real world. The system is dominated by generations of people who went
to school when they were 6 and never left.
Some colleges and universities have programs through which smart
students without financial resources can attend and graduate without
incurring significant debt. I'm not talking about traditional
"scholarship programs.
College placement offices are pretty good at helping graduating students
find jobs. You can lead students to the water, but they have to be
self-motivated enough to drink.
A small but growing number of graduating students are turning their
backs on the United States and finding good employment overseas, where
their abilities and education may be more appreciated.
The last paragraph is a sad statement of affairs. We're exporting our
technologies and now talent, plus we're educating the world only to
lose that investment back their home countries.
England, here we come...
I read that the Peoples Republic of China now lays claim to the world's
fastest supercomputer. I don't know if any of the scientists involved in
that project were trained in the United States, but it would not
surprise me to learn some were.
I think the sun is setting on the United States for many reasons.