there was a time in our history that school was about learning.
when in college I took courses just because I wanted to know about the subject.
I wasnt jsut getting a piece of paper to wave at an employeer.
I WANTED TO LEARN,
The attitude here in this thread aobut what education is is cold hard proof of what is wrong with education in this country.
who cares about learning its all about appearances and the piece of paper to wave at prospective employees.
My favorite scene from the movie "Good Will Hunting":
Chuckie: All right, are we gonna have a problem?
Clark: There's no problem. I was just hoping you could give me some insight into the evolution of the market economy in the southern colonies. My contention is that prior to the Revolutionary War the economic modalities, especially of the southern colonies could most aptly be characterized as agrarian pre-capitalist and...
Will: [interrupting] Of course that's your contention. You're a first year grad student. You just got finished some Marxian historian, Pete Garrison probÂ’ly, youÂ’re gonna be convinced of that until next month when you get to James Lemon, then youÂ’re gonna be talkinÂ’ about how the economies of Virginia and Pennsylvania were entrepreneurial and capitalist way back in 1740. That's gonna last until next year, youÂ’re gonna be in here regurgitating Gordon Wood, talkinÂ’ about you know, the Pre-revolutionary utopia and the capital-forming effects of military mobilization.
Clark: [taken aback] Well, as a matter of fact, I won't, because Wood drastically underestimates the impact of--
Will: ..."Wood drastically underestimates the impact of social distinctions predicated upon wealth, especially inherited wealth..." You got that from Vickers. "Work in Essex County," Page 98, right? Yeah I read that too. Were you gonna plagiarize the whole thing for us- you have any thoughts of- of your own on this matter? Or do- is that your thing, you come into a bar, you read some obscure passage and then you pretend- you pawn it off as your own- your own idea just to impress some girls? Embarrass my friend?
[Clark is stunned]
Will: See the sad thing about a guy like you, is in about 50 years youÂ’re gonna start doin' some thinkin' on your own and youÂ’re gonna come up with the fact that there are two certainties in life. One, don't do that.
And two, you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a f**kinÂ’ education you coulda' got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the Public Library.
Clark: Yeah, but I will have a degree, and you'll be serving my kids fries at a drive-thru on our way to a skiing trip.
Will: [smiles] Yeah, maybe. But at least I won't be unoriginal.
Good Will Hunting - Wikiquote
The point being, if you just want to learn something, the library is free, and you can learn whatever you want. If you're spending thousands of dollars of taxpayer money, you have a higher purpose to learn something that will make you employable. A degree is evidence of that, nothing more; all of these programs could be learned without college. We should not be supporting "feel good" degree programs with public money. If you want to pay your own way through college, feel free to pursue whatever education suits you.