Hunger to Learn

[zalena]

One of the ongoing debates in the US has been the value of a college education. Most people are well-off enough in this country that a college education might not significantly alter their prospects for employment after school, (especially if they have a non-professional liberal arts degree.) While statistics still show a larger propensity for prosperity over time for college educated students, the rising cost of a college education is now making people think twice about the cost/benefit ratio, especially in hard economic times.

I have a friend who has just returned from two years teaching in Senegal. She is now teaching at a school in Dortmund and experiencing a bit of culture shock. Even though the school she taught at in Senegal was fairly well-to-do, it did not have the equipment or advantages of the school in Dortmund. (Germany)

She sent me this news story from the BBC about a Bengali student who attends his own classes in the mornings and in the afternoon---in combination with other students from his school---teaches the children in his neighborhood who cannot afford to go to school. Looking at the children squatting in the dirt and the unsophisticated methods of teaching by teachers who are themselves children made me realize that not only are we a bunch of whiners, but there are still some parts of the world where the cost/benefit ratio is obvious and that people recognize education is the privilege it is. The immediate expense to an eduction in not having children work for family or food is obvious, but the chance to have it for free is too much to pass up.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8299780.stm

Comments

[ng-nighthawk.livejournal.com]

Seriously, the reporter's name is Damian Grammaticas? Is that a pen name?

I was going to mention I think people are questioning the value of college, not the value of basic education, which is what these kids are lacking.

Consider for a moment: with free time, internet access, libraries, and educated peers a person could easily a lot of knowledge.

Further, the value of the diploma itself dwindles after a few years, and the odds are low for a liberal-arts educated person getting a professional job without a social connection. After the entry level job, the competition between a degree-holder and a non-degree holder is going to focus on experience more than the degree.

So: if college is about gaining specific knowledge there are cheaper ways to go about it. If college is about getting a leg up on the competition in the job marketplace, it's value is relatively low.

The problem is that these aren't really the reasons to go to college. If you think that's what you want, it's not worth it.

The reason to go to college is to learn how to think critically, ask the right questions, and find out what you should learn as a foundation to future knowledge accumulation. It's also a place to be intellectually experimental in a safe environment--generally the workplace (especially at entry level jobs) is not the place to be experimenting with different mental tools.

Not everyone wants or needs this. The value of this varies per person, but in many ways it's about a lifestyle or mental habit more than any specific goals.

Anyway, I think this is a different kind of discussion by far than the effort to learn basic math and reading skills. We are blessed that we and our kids will certainly be able to gain these kinds of skills and more with only a little effort (and tax payment) on our parts.

[zalena.livejournal.com]

I think the point I'm trying to make here is one of comparison. We are so well-off we can afford to debate the cost of a college education. Most people would do okay without one, and whatever its problems, primary education is free. It just seems like we are taking an awful lot of granted. This isn't quite the 'starving children in Africa' argument. (In fact, it isn't an argument at all.) It's more like, oh wow! look how much I have. There are people in the world who value education so much look at the lengths they go to get it.