Gee, You Don't Say?

There's an interesting article at The Chronicle of Higher Education. I applaud them for daring to ask the question whose answer so many people take as self-evident. Despite the insistence on post-secondary education for all, college is not a one-size-fits-all Good Thing. Some people are simply not cut out for (what should be, what used to be) rigorous academic work. Sometimes it's a matter of ability (normal curves being what they are, you're always going to have about 16% of the population more than a standard deviation below average, translating to an IQ of 85 or less; I would further argue that at the very minimum, one should be of at least average intelligence to attend college/university). Sometimes, it's a matter of temperament. People who lack either ability or desire to attend college should not be pressured to do so (Hello, high school counselors: are you listening?), nor should they be looked down upon for not going.

The comments in the article referenced above make worthwhile reading, too. Comment #11 is QFT:

College-level work = (at a minimum) the ability to read and comprehend on at least a 12th grade (standardized) level and to be able to express one's thoughts in writing coherently in complete sentences with minimal errors in syntax, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Oh, and add to that the maturity to realize that one should spend more time on their studies outside class, rather than assuming that having their body sitting in class when it suits them is adequate.

Hear, hear.