Comments, observations and thoughts from two bloggers on applied statistics, higher education and epidemiology. Joseph is an associate professor. Mark is a professional statistician and former math teacher.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
"What is the worst case scenario here?"
If you're in a hurry, skip to 6:30...
Does this mean I'll have to retract all of these posts?
I enjoy reading your comments on Canada's educational system vs. the US (and others). I would like to suggest that you pick up the book just published by the University of Toronto Press - "Lowering Higher Education" by Cote and Allahar. It's an interesting read from a Canadian perspective, and shows that things aren't all that rosy up here in the frozen north.
It's not terribly expensive ($25 CAD) - here's a link in case you're interested.
Thanks for the reading tip. I'll add it to the list.
I do want to make a distinction here (one I probably should have emphasised elsewhere). The point of the Canada articles wasn't that Canada's system was that good. It was that metrics Rhee and company use when discussing international rankings do not support the conclusions they've drawn from them.
If Canada has an excellent system, then it is possible to achieve excellence without making the changes that Rhee and co insist are necessary.
If Canada has a poor system, then the metrics Rhee and co are using are not accurate measures of the quality of a country's educational system.
Good clarification. I would say (personal experience) that the Canadian system of tertiary education is better in aggregate, with the obvious caveat that the upper end is lower, but with a lower end that's higher.
We still have the for-pay 'colleges' (uncertified) that offer training in healthcare fields and so on, like DeVry and the other ones I see advertised on American TV. However, all the certified universities are of decent quality, and the tuition has (so far) resisted the scaling to obscene levels that some American schools are experiencing. Our growth in tuition costs has been similar to the US as a percentage (i.e. growing at 4x the rate of inflation or more), but it is somewhat more limited.
I enjoy reading your comments on Canada's educational system vs. the US (and others). I would like to suggest that you pick up the book just published by the University of Toronto Press - "Lowering Higher Education" by Cote and Allahar. It's an interesting read from a Canadian perspective, and shows that things aren't all that rosy up here in the frozen north.
ReplyDeleteIt's not terribly expensive ($25 CAD) - here's a link in case you're interested.
http://www.utppublishing.com/Lowering-Higher-Education-The-Rise-of-Corporate-Universities-and-the-Fall-of-Liberal-Education.html
Wesley,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reading tip. I'll add it to the list.
I do want to make a distinction here (one I probably should have emphasised elsewhere). The point of the Canada articles wasn't that Canada's system was that good. It was that metrics Rhee and company use when discussing international rankings do not support the conclusions they've drawn from them.
If Canada has an excellent system, then it is possible to achieve excellence without making the changes that Rhee and co insist are necessary.
If Canada has a poor system, then the metrics Rhee and co are using are not accurate measures of the quality of a country's educational system.
Good clarification. I would say (personal experience) that the Canadian system of tertiary education is better in aggregate, with the obvious caveat that the upper end is lower, but with a lower end that's higher.
ReplyDeleteWe still have the for-pay 'colleges' (uncertified) that offer training in healthcare fields and so on, like DeVry and the other ones I see advertised on American TV. However, all the certified universities are of decent quality, and the tuition has (so far) resisted the scaling to obscene levels that some American schools are experiencing. Our growth in tuition costs has been similar to the US as a percentage (i.e. growing at 4x the rate of inflation or more), but it is somewhat more limited.
Keep up the good blogging. :)