CHRISTOPHER HANDEL, for Clear365
As Clear365's resident intern, I am the only member of our staff that will be headed back to school in the fall. As you read through the following headlines, you'll find a collection of stories enumerating the challenges of going to school in a period of cuts in financial aid and rising tuition. There is no doubt that the coming school year will present a burden for many families.
When I go back to U.C.L.A. in a month, I too will experience these challenges. When faced with stories of large classes sizes and failing public schools, I often feel a sense of hopelessness about our educational system. Nonetheless, it is worth remembering that education in the United States has reached heights unimaginable even 70 years ago.
Consider the following statistic: by the time they reach the age of 25, nearly 87.8% of Americans will have attained a high school diploma, and 30.8% will have received a bachelor's degree. In 1940, those numbers stood at 38.1% and 5.9%, respectively. Never before in the history of the world has education been so widely available. Furthermore, the United States has produced the world's greatest system of higher education. According to "The Times Higher Education Supplement," one of the pre-eminent global rankings of universities, 13 of the world's top 20 universities can be found in the United States.
This is not to say that we can afford to rest on our laurels; nothing could be further from the truth. Not only do we have a responsibility to continue to advance our educational progress, but it is in our own best interest. It is no coincidence that 309 of the world's 789 Nobel laureates come from the United States, and an even greater number were educated here.
Thus, as you prepare to send your children back to school, or your grandchildren, or to go back to school yourself, take a moment to reflect on the incredible accomplishments of our schools. Remember that our schools belong to our communities, and they are places where millions of America's college graduates go to work for uncompetitive salaries in order to educate a future generation of leaders and thinkers. Finally, remember that our public schools belong to you, and they are open resources.
As you read Ann Levin's story about adult education, consider your own potential to expand your horizons. If you live near a major university, odds are they have a program for nontraditional students to work towards a degree at night and on the weekends, or to attend regular classes, maybe even at a discount. If not, consider community colleges and online courses, another excellent and often more affordable resource.
In a few months as I begin yet another week of finals, I'll read this article and be reminded why I go to school, but I still won't know enough about comparative political systems.
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