I think any self-respecting educational institution ought to judge its policies by its best estimate of what their long-term consequences for their students and for the society will be.
Derek BokRead
Colleges and universities, for all the benefits they bring, accomplish far less for their students than they should. Many students graduate without being able to write well enough to satisfy their employers... reason clearly or perform competently in analyzing complex, non-technical problems.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Higher education institutions often fail to adequately prepare students for the workforce.
Derek Bok's quote highlights a significant issue within higher education, where despite the advantages that colleges and universities provide, they often fall short in equipping students with essential skills such as effective writing, clear reasoning, and the ability to analyze complex problems. This gap indicates a need for educational reforms to ensure that graduates are truly prepared for the demands of the professional world.
Themes
EducationSkillsPreparationGraduationWritingReasoning
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a university graduation ceremony, a speaker could use this quote to emphasize the importance of focusing on practical skills.
More from Derek Bok
All quotes →Doctoral training is devoted almost entirely to learning to do research, even though most Ph.Ds who enter academic life spend far more time teaching than they do conducting experiments or writing books.
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If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
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Economists who have studied the relationship between education and economic growth confirm what common sense suggests: The number of college degrees is not nearly as important as how well students develop cognitive skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving ability.
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