bob (11/12/82)
Clearly, in a free society, an education is necessary so that each citizen can cast an informed vote. This is one of the foundations of our society. But (as was pointed out before) the right to an education is like the right to food and shelter -- we should be guaranteed a minimum level, but that does *NOT* mean that everyone is automatically entitled to exactly the same standard of living. (How we become "entitled" is a matter of distribution policy: capitalists use dollars; communists use party membership; dictators use guns.) Historically, an American citizen has been automatically entitled to enough education to read a newspaper, write to elected representatives, and calculate taxes. A public school education used to do it, too. Now we're regularly handing out diplomas to functional illiterates, so community college has become part of the entitlement. My high school handed me an honest-to-legal bachelor of arts degree when I graduated -- if it sounds silly, it is. But 100 years ago, it really *DID* mean a high-quality education. Now what's the quibble? The quality of education? That they don't give free PhD's to everyone when they get their social insecurity number? Or the way we decide who gets the "better" education? My wife has had more thorough teaching in community colleges (virtually free) than in state university (not so expensive). My observation is that state U's do about as good a job as the Ivies. Sure, the living quarters are nicer. Dollars still do buy something. --Bob Hofkin (...!ucbvax!sdcsvax!bob)