As I watch my two daughters working through their private university educations, I’m struck by how much they are just like me when I was their age, back when I honestly didn’t realize the magnitude and magnanimity of the gift I was receiving.
.
One day I was complaining to one of my professors of the priice of the fees for my public U education. What are you talking about?” he responded. “This is the greatest bargain you’ll ever see!”
Of course, at the time, I hadn’t made a careful cost-benefit analysis of going to college. Like a lot of young people, including some who were written up way back in the time of Aristotle, I was a little bit lazy, self absorbed, and spent and awful lot of time worrying about stuff that was actually going to take care of itself.
That day the professor pointed out to me that I wasn’t actually working my way through school, that the taxpayers were doing it most of it for me. And at private schools, it’s only a little different, it’s the parents and the school endowment which are picking up the slack.
Back when I was a student, I used to feel as if any second my entire existence was going to flare out. It would have been better, I think, had I realized that in fact my parents, who sent money, the taxpayers, who paid to keep the public university open and even my professors, who tended to take some limited concern of my wellbeing, were investing in me particularly. I was not in fact doing this college degree solely under my own steam.
Today, looking back, I realize that for some reason, my society—my peeps–decided to put a lot of resources into my future back then when my future was just a matter of speculation. That realized, I’d like to tell my daughters and their fellow college students a couple of key points:
- College students are special. Not everybody can complete a four year degree. Don’t act like it’s not something to be grateful for, to be in a school, even if it’s not Harvard.
- If you’re in college, someone is investing in you. They want something for the future. They want an educated you.
- The reason they want an educated you is for our family, our country, and our world. You will have the opportunity to give back when you’re older, and not just by paying off your student loans, though we expect that as well. When you pariticpate in our society, whether by being a doctor or a teacher, a parent or a volunteer, and you do your duty, you will be making the world a better place. The expectation that you’re going to do this is why we send you to that ivory tower on this hill with the wide green lawns and big lecture halls.
- If you’re a college student, you’ve received a double gift. First, from the universe, in terms of ability to study. Second, from your countrymen, the actual resources to be educated. It’s up to you to decide what to do with your gifts.
- At the UT, the fight song is “The Eyes of Texas are Upon You.” I want to say that that is true not just in Austin – the eyes of America are on all our college students. We have sacrificed so that you can study today. Don’t take it lightly. This is your job and our patrimony, our joint heritage, your college degree. We’re doing this for you and for America. So be grateful, and don’t mess it up.
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I will see if I can be more grateful about being educated. But I wonder: does being educated make you able to make better decisions? I think it helps me to make better decisions. If being educated helps you make better decisions, what can you say about the less- or uneducated, who apparently can’t make as good decisions? Can you believe in education without being somewhat elitist? Is being elitist bad? In the art department, being elitist is extremely uncool. In the environmental science department, however, there’s a feeling that a lot of (uneducated) people have no idea what is going wrong with the world.
What an excellent sentiment to send to our youth. I think the same can be said for students in k-12. Our country offers amazing educational opportunities, with the chance for all students to receive a free public education and also allows families to choose private or parochial schools, similar to the college experience.
I know that I didn’t appreciate the gift of a public education that I received for 13 years thanks to the tax payers of the state of Montana. I also did not fully appreciate, as you put it so well, the financial sacrifice made by my parents and the contribution of the Texas taxpayers that allowed me to attend the University of North Texas.
But it is the combination of both of those education systems and all of those sacrifices that have resulted in my ability to be a successful member of society, who just so happens to work for a public school system.
An educated society benefits everyone. I share your hope that the next generation will be more grateful than I was.
Thanks for your comment Kristen. I really feel in my heart that our American education system is a good one, I get so upset when people aren’t grateful for all the good it has done for us. I know there are problems but people always compare it to some softy ideal not to real alternatives that have existed, many of which we would not prefer to what we have.
The bumper sticker I like best is “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance,” though “if you can read this thank a teacher” isn’t bad either.
Well Firnafth I think I have to go with the enviro sci types. Clearly, to be uneducated is a handicap people have to overcome or deal with. I don’t think it’s elitist to want the best possible life for everyone. And most wellbeing indicators are positively influenced by more education.
Thought I understand the reason why some might want to believe it, ignorance is not bliss.
This is wonderful. “Grateful” and “American” need to be in the same sentence more often.
[...] talks about O. B. Macaroni and Fort Worth social media, has her own Fort Worth web roundup, writes a letter to college students everywhere, and makes her own statement about the sad condition of Heritage [...]
On the topic of being a Grateful American — I think emphasizing these feelings was more typical in the past. But in the last 50 years, many in the teaching and writing professions seem to have believed that being grateful and proud of what our country offers might make kids and others warlike and arrogant. I don’t think that’s true; it’s time for a correction in our vision of ourselves.
I have lots of reasons to thank the American education system – actually, not the system itself, but specifically two private elite institutions and their extremely generous scholarships – my grad school and my son’s prep school.
However, I know that even to be able to even get my figurative foot in their door, I had already had the benefit of the great free education system of Europe. I’ve never compared myself to other people’s educational experience here because I knew it wouldn’t have been fair – I had that previous advantage. American education can be great, but unfortunately it all depends on your social position.
We had our kids in Italian schools for 7 months when we lived in Italy, and there is much to admire in the Roman school system. That said, the scope and ambitions of the American system mark it apart, and our higher education system, both public and private, is distinguished worldwide. I really feel it’s a good system.
I attended California public schools, as did my husband, which are some of the most casual in ambitions, but after living in Italy I feel we’re as educated as the average European with the same number of years of schooling (16 and 19, respectively). As a teacher, I’ve seen that there is great diversity in student abilities, and to some degree, the ability and inclination of the student is going to be the defining point in how educated that person becomes.
I’d like to offer another international thought about the education system.
In Taiwan, and I think other countries in Asia as well, there is a placement exam at every level–jr. high, high school and college. You are assigned to schools based on your score. However, not every aspect is so punishing. The more prestigious the university, the less the student pays. The students who are admitted to National Taiwan University (Harvard) pay the least tuition while students who are admitted to a LeTourneau (no offense; I went to UT I’m just trying to find an example) pay a lot more.
The downside of so many quantitative placement exams is that too much emphasis is placed on academic rather than social growth i.e. It’s more common for American high school kids to work than high school kids in Asia.
The Dallas Morning News also has a fascinating article about the Finnish school system.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/world/stories/020809dnbusfinaland.30a53af.html
Excerpt:
By the time Finland’s children complete the ninth grade, they speak three languages. They have studied algebra, geometry and statistics since the first grade. And they beat the pants off students from just about everywhere else in the world.
In math, science, problem solving and reading comprehension, Finland’s 15-year-olds came out at or near the top in international tests given in 2000, 2003 and 2006. Even the least among Finnish students – the lowest 10 percent – beat their peers everywhere else.
This discussion is really carrying quite far. I’ve read your comments and feel I’m going to have to write another blog post on the topic, discussing for you and Eleiva my take on the perceived shortcoming of American education when compared with various aspects of the educations offered abroad. But what it really comes down to, is you can’t have a profoundly democratic system, like ours, without losing some ground to systems that run like private schools with a testing or admissions process. Perhaps the question I really am concerned about is “what price tracking?” I’m still turning this over in my head, but thanks very much for the thoughtful comments. The discourse must continue.
Yes, I recommend Finland’s scholastic system, too, especially for the comprehensive inclusion of children with disabilities (esp. learning) and social challenges. Most European countries have significant graduation requirements for their high school students that are standard countrywide – the Abitur in Germany, Finland and the Czech Republic, the Maturita’ in Italy, the Bac in France, the A Level in the UK. I wouldn’t say this has come at the expense of democracy or – in Europe, at least – social engagement of kids. There are private schools there, too, but they have a different role. Society and state institutions are responsible for public education though – the system that ensures the minimum level of achievement, necessary to function in it as a responsible member.
Educators and leaders in the US recognize there are problems in education that need attention. They are too complex to be discussed here comprehensively as so much has already been researched and written about them. In the area of math and sciences, I would recommend the TIMMS http://nces.ed.gov/timss/, which compares student achievement in the US to that of other developed countries.
Thanks for starting the topic – it’s something so important and dear to my heart, too. And to all of us who have kids