“My schooling not only failed to teach me what it professed to be teaching, but prevented me from being educated to an extent which infuriates me when I think of all I might have learned at home by myself.”

Ditto!

"Those that know how to think for themselves need no teachers." A paraphrase of a Ghandi quote.

" I have a Liberal Arts degree, would you like fries with that" ?

Jim K is showing his ignorance today. What this country needs is a love for the liberal arts together with skills to earn a living. Life without art, history, music is not worth living. Thinking for oneself is what liberal arts degrees are all about. I needed a job so I switched to Accounting but still love the liberal arts.

Things have not changed in a hundred years; blame the school for the student's failure to absorb all that he might have, As for jim k's denigrating his BA, what did he expect? Most undergraduate degrees are primarily for learning to learn, and to demonstrate an ability to stick to a difficult task and see it through. That's what sets the college graduate apart from the non-graduate. I received mine 58 years ago (when the GI Bill paid for everything) and have never regretted it

Yes, my college degree dumbed me down and as I result I felt empowered to question my local government. That really got me in trouble, and they told me to shut up or else, and the else was 34 days in jail under an illegal order. To think that I could participate with my government. It always holds a risk if you have expectations of decency and honesty. Damn, I am angry with my college professor for encouraging civic participation. That cost me dearly.

Judith I would really like to hear more about this. What a sordid affair you are talking about. I bet there are other sides to this story.

Hey Waff, I actually think Jim K is making his point very well and with humor. You however, could maybe explain how your Love of Liberal Arts produces anything...anything at all of tangible practical value. I'm all for art too...but do it on your own time, we need productive people in a productive society. Private schools and family values are what America needs now. Not Liberals who want to pick your pockets.

Me too! A true study of the Department of Education will reveal that it is not about Education at all but timing new workers to enter the workforce. Students that excel are not really wanted or encouraged because they will only compete for those already in the work force and messes up the socialist planners. The government spends more than twice per student than a private school will (even an expensive one). Teacher's Unions, school boards, and government contractors all get their funding from government, and a great deal of resources are wasted as is typical of most government programs. The government pays for obedient citizens -- productivity be damned, don't you know we are all supposed to live off governemnt? Did anyone ever learn manufacturing, agriculture, or banking in school? No, those fields have now been co-opted by insitutions that monopolize these areas. Americans are dumber than ever -- Jack's education was no doubt much better than what kids get today. SAT scores have plummeted in the last 30 years while foreign countries (many of them communist) are producing more engineers and scientists than the USA. I believe this is intentional and it isn't going to get better because that is the way 'they' want it. If you want an education, you will have to get it yourself, and it doesn't stop with a diploma. A 'liberal arts' degree is usually what students get who just want a diploma and 4 years of partying -- how many actually have mastered an instrument or became artists ... few. And what artist needs a degree! And a kid who can jam on his guitar doesn't need a degree. Here in NYC, there are hundreds of specialty schools in the arts -- they aren't government run and the students usually end up being paid for the talents they have mastered. In 1989, I lectured at 45 schools across the Eastern seaboard -- some were nice, some were nightmares -- there are always some bright stars among the children, but I do believe they were bright in spite of the system they were thrown into.

As lousy as public education is it still helps the masses. (In spite of the ridiculous indoctrination techniques.) Unfortunately there are very few people like George that would actually be capable or determined to educate themselves. We need a system that creates the best of both. Like home schooling. Of course home schooling is not for everyone. The teachers have to be more determined than the student most of the time and if you had that in every parent then I think that the parents of America would have never allowed the public school system to become what it has.

For the record, to those who think it has something to do with art, a liberal arts degree is one of general knowledge including the humanities, history, natural science, social science, and teaching how and what to learn in life. I went on to engineering, where I spent 40 years as an engineer, thanks to such basic education after primary, and secondary school, so so don't knock the BA degree just because some people don't know how to use it..

I agree that we can learn much more and better by ourselves, mainly since the advent of the Internet. But I'll leave one star, at least one, for the schools. They help you expand your world of connections and give you credentials, which are a plus - although not a proof - when it comes to the credibility of your qualifications.