George Will Joins The Conservative Choir That Opposes College Education

This article, by George Will, follows articles by Robert Samuelson and David Brooks who have recently raised questions about the value of a college education.  The conservative movement seems to have a new enemy.  Perhaps they prefer an electorate with less education, along with lower government spending on education.

George Will argues that colleges have become more expensive while the quality of education has declined.  He correctly points out that education, like other service industries, does not benefit from productivity increases that are common in manufacturing.  Prices have risen faster than general inflation.  Price increases, along with declining state tax revenues, have led many states to cut back on funding the state university systems that produce most of our college graduates.  In turn that has led many families to finance college by borrowing.

On might conclude, that reduced access to college education is the problem that we should be addressing.  Many pundits and commentators have argued that a college educated labor force is essential in a global economy.  It is necessary for the US to invest in higher education to remain competitive.  George Will is more concerned about the "problem"of the over-consumption of higher education.  To make that point he cites data from the conservative Manhattan Foundation that the quality of a college education is  falling even as prices are rising.  The Manhattan Foundation has picked up the theme that other conservative funded organizations are using in opposition to state funded university systems.  There are too many courses in the humanities that teach multiculturalism. Apparently, this means lower educational quality.  Conservatives have been saying this for the last 40 years. They are taking advantage of the decline in state tax revenues to raise questions about the value of college education in the minds of taxpayers.  They seem to have less concern about for-profit colleges, that use taxpayer supported student loan programs to enroll disadvantaged students in degree programs that they do not complete. Even those who graduate from those programs have difficulty finding jobs that enable them to pay down their debt.

We have to add public education to the conservative attack on social democracy.  Education is only good if tax dollars can be funneled into for-profit sellers of education. Charter schools are terrific and so is the University of Phoenix and other for-profit colleges that rely upon government supported student loan programs.  If loans are used to attend non-profit institutions, it is bad because they are used to purchase a low quality education.