Getting Into the Ivies – NYTimes.com.
Here is what I wrote,
“…the poor catch up with the rich to the extent that they achieve the same level of technological know-how, skill, and education…” (quoted from Piketty, Thomas (2014-03-10). Capital in the Twenty-First Century (Kindle Locations 1315-1316). Harvard University Press. Kindle Edition. )
It is not a surprise that, as this column notes, “..administrators…actions [with respect to] enrolling a more economically diverse group of students…don’t always match their words…” Just note, as did Clark Kerr,
“…how radical some professors can be when they look at the external world and how conservative when they look inwardly at themselves…” (From the 2001 Preface to “The Uses of the University”)
It’s even worse than this column indicates. Many “elite” universities do a great job catering to student wants, while knowingly ignoring the students’ educational “needs”. Those “wants” are not always the same as the “needs”, and, in many cases, are counter to them. By catering to the “wants”, the students to whom learning can make a big difference suffer the most; and, of course the less income the family has the more important education becomes, as Prof. Piketty points out.
It gets even worse. The problems are mainly caused by a lack of scruples. (I know. I am a former professor who taught at one of the “elite” schools that is listed here.) I can’t describe all of that here, but I have a blog, www.inside-higher-ed.com, where people can see for themselves what is happening.
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