MB Civic

By Robert Samuelson | Wednesday, September 6, 2006 | The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR2006090501131.html

In this op-ed piece, Samuelson describes the distinction between the US school system – which consistently churns out graduates that rank last in math and science in international tests – and something far different – a system that allows the US to have a technology beased economy – the American learning system. It is mostly post-high school and includes community colleges, self-help books, job-oriented training, post graduate classes and instructional media, among others.

He then argies that this de facto learning system, although inefficient, has two important virtues. It provides second chances by teaching those who are motivated to learn. And it’s job-oriented: for example, there has been an explosion in master’s degrees — most of them work-oriented. From 1971 to 2004, MBAs are up 426 percent, public administration degrees, 262 percent, and health degrees, 743 percent. Almost 25% of current graduates go on to earn a master’s degree or doctorate. It’s a fresh viewpoint on something we do not often debate about – one of the things that is still working despite the current Administration’s disastrous leadership…BS