[s1artibartfast]

There is nothing wrong with going to school to obtain knowledge and skills to secure a job.

The problem with the modern educational system is that it isnt very efficient at this task. Instead, most of the value relies on the screening that took place before the students even entered the institution, not the knowledge obtained while there.

[kenjackson]

Yep, this is a huge problem. I've long argued that we need value add metrics for colleges, and it probably won't be a single number, but rather a set of values depending on input values, e.g., some schools may deliver a lot of value for kids with 1550 SATs, but other schools may do better for kids with 1200.

Today we simply use college as a proxy for intelligence, so people just like to go to the highest rated college they can to be viewed as intelligent. What happens in the four years at the college is secondary.

[csa]

> Today we simply use college as a proxy for intelligence, so people just like to go to the highest rated college they can to be viewed as intelligent.

Hmmm… I would say college is a proxy for social currency, of which intelligence is one type. In most cases, intelligence is the least valuable (imho).

[Pet_Ant]

> There is nothing wrong with going to school to obtain knowledge and skills to secure a job.

That can't be the only goal. We also need to transmit culture, values, and teach them to become citizens.

[aydyn]

Teach them "values" as determined by a central governing authority?

[goatlover]

Yes, within a reason. Not in an authoritarian or dismissive manner. But the ideals of our western liberal societies.

[aydyn]

What happens if that centeal authority becoms subverted (as many people here would argue is the case right now)?

Doesnt that single point of failure indicate a weakness?

[Pet_Ant]

Values are your culture. The Nazis were elected and supported (at least initially) so you are right some what, but the answer is multiple countries.

But a country without a culture and without shared values is a sled being pulled by dogs in different directions and not a real team (as many people would argue has been the case for quite some time).

You need common values to work together to achieve goals. That's what a country is, people working together. When you don't, you just become tenants with passports.

[s1artibartfast]

you dont need 4-10 years of post-secondary school at 100k/yr to do that.

nor do our current institutions do a good job of what you describe.