Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This is a short post posing two perspectives on college against each other. One is what we may call the standard view where "college is the gateway to a good life and a good career; every person should have the opportunity to go to college." But, says Mitch Weisburgh, "This perspective looks down on anyone without a college degree: they couldn't cut it, they weren't smart enough, they settled for something less, they dropped out, etc." The alternative allows that "you don't need four years of college to start being an adult." It's just one pathway, and the people who pursue it aren't better than anyone else. "The amount of education required is just dependent on the life and occupation paths you choose, and most do not require a 2-year or 4-year degree." I'm not really happy with either option. I think people have value independently of their education, and reject any framing that depicts one person as better than another. That said, education is typically of great value to people, and I think it should be accessible to all, depending on their need and interests.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 06:18 a.m.

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