Question: How do we fix the education system?
Paul Krugman: Well first off just money. And we’re, you know . . . enough to pay good teachers’ salaries so that low income districts are able to have adequate education. More financial support for college. I did a comparison in “Conscience of a Liberal” with France. And we know . . . Everybody knows . . . The French do have real problems. But everybody knows that young French are less likely to be working than young Americans. A lot of that is actually because the French do things better. Students are much less likely to be forced to drop out of school for financial reasons. Of course there are good government stipends. Students from lower income families are able to be full time students, whereas in the United States they usually have to work their way through school. And this is all good stuff. There is a striking statistical comparison I put in the book that if you look at bright students as measured by tests they took in the eighth grade from low income families, they’re actually less likely to get through college than really not very bright, bottom quartile students from high income families. We are a society in which the . . . starting in the wrong class makes it very difficult to get through college, and that should not be the case.
Discuss
James Moore on March 9, 2008, 12:22 PM
I agree that No Child Left Behind is a money pit, but would disagree that lazy and unintelligent teachers make up the majority. There is a problem with such teachers, but the majority really do want to make a difference in the lives of America's youth. The "smartest" among you probably don't want to be teachers because of the poor pay, which is equating intelligence with wealth. The more dedicated teachers don't care about the lack of money (although they wouldn't turn down a raise). Most would be surprised how many teachers care more about the achievement of their students.
James Moore on March 9, 2008, 4:22 PM
I agree that No Child Left Behind is a money pit, but would disagree that lazy and unintelligent teachers make up the majority. There is a problem with such teachers, but the majority really do want to make a difference in the lives of America’s youth. The “smartest” among you probably don’t want to be teachers because of the poor pay, which is equating intelligence with wealth. The more dedicated teachers don’t care about the lack of money (although they wouldn’t turn down a raise). Most would be surprised how many teachers care more about the achievement of their students.
William HEASLEY on December 2, 2008, 6:19 PM
Its pretty clear that Krugman solves all economic problems with more money. Just give any economic situation more money and that’s the pat answer.
Paul, how much money have we already thrown at education? Paul, its clearly not the money.
The French Educational system, an educational system within a imploding Socialist State is your glowing example of a Correct Educational System??
I’m not sure which Economist comes in last place among all Economists, Krugman or Jared Bernstein. Its clearly a tight race for last place.
Robert Geiger on March 1, 2009, 8:19 PM
I find the last statement intriguing:
“We are a society in which,” states Mr. Krugman, “starting in the wrong class makes it very difficult to get through college.”
I believe this is true, but can this be expounded on and is there solid evidence that supports this statement? Please contact me with any further information.
Angel Jimenez on March 24, 2009, 1:42 PM
Look, there is a stagnant stupidity in the way a college education is offered. We have hundreds of colleges all with only a slightly different curriculum. Some have a few more Nobel Laureates than others but, in general, what they teach is the same.
Gather together the best courses (from Harvard, Princeton, the others) and offer them online for credit. The tuition you pay will be for test taking, hands-on essentials and tutoring. At the end of the year, you go somewhere where the finals are administered.
If you centralize higher education at the undergraduate level, you educate the masses while saving a bundle.
It is high time colleges got together for the common good. This has applicability in 7-12 grades also.
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