Ranger Rick: Government subsidies cause high education cost

I recently heard a disturbing fact on the radio by an education “expert” (if there is such a thing) when examining the education of students in Detroit. He asserted a full 92% of students can’t read at their grade level. Whether it is 62%, 72%, or the reported 92%, it is a shocking number of ignorance being visited on those who are tasked to learn. What is the cause for such disastrous numbers?

It is a number of symptoms that turn a small problem in grade school to an unmitigated disaster when the student can’t read, write or speak well when on the verge of graduation. What kind of future does such a young person think they will experience if they can’t read, write, or speak – the core of communication avenues to learn, discern and decipher, and speak about what they read and understand. Isn’t that the whole point of public education? Of course there is more to education than the communication arts, but they are a huge part of basic learning and the pathway to success in life.

Let’s examine the sources of the problems that are roadblocks to learning how to read, write or speak well:

• Students from single parent homes where education isn’t valued at all or encouraged to any great degree.

• Poor sleeping and eating habits which prohibit a clear and awake disposition and attitude for learning.
• Peer pressure to not conform to being “smart.” Pressure to remain with peers instead of having opportunities to leave the neighborhood, get a job, or have an opportunity for a post high school education.
• Schools that don’t have adequate instructors, administration or facilities to support educational learning.

Looking at the four root causes of blocking educational learning and specifically reading, writing and coherent speech and communication, the majority of those in areas of responsibility to educate these children in poor performing schools are mainly beholden to the political party in power in the city.

The only political party for the greater part of the last century and until now is the Democrat party in Detroit and the same for the majority of major cities experiencing the same problems. They control City Hall, and populate school administrations and teachers, and most of the parents of the children that attend the poorly run schools. If any idea for a private or alternative educational opportunity to lift the children up into schools of excellence, the Democrats cry foul – you’re trying to break down the public school system.

I pose this question to those that cry foul. We’ve thrown billions upon billions of dollars of state and federal money into a failing school system where many of the administrations and educators have squandered the money or have funneled it into areas for their own personal gain. The only thing I notice whenever I’ve visited Detroit is the decaying condition of the inner city, while there are bright spots of construction downtown and developments to bring more business activity downtown, the urban areas are still blighted. You would think the millions and millions of dollars spent would have changed the blighted areas and the neighborhood schools would be adequate for learning. Only in fairy tales.

If they are lucky to receive an education to such a level where college is a possibility and they get accepted, then they can pile up thousands of dollars of debt to remain in college and hopefully receive a viable degree that leads to a good paying profession, because they will surely have plenty of debt to repay. The days of working your way through college are gone.

When I attended college, I could get by paying $225 per credit hour (this was at a private college!) and before that at a community college, I was paying $50 per credit hour. Those accumulated dollars now probably don’t even pay for books nowadays. Books, what am I thinking, nobody reads books anymore – they read words on a computer.

The real and only reason educational costs are so high is because the government is subsidizing education at both the state and national levels. The schools know they can plan budgets based on the support they will get from the government. Why does the building at colleges go on at unprecedented rates year after year? Because college administrations and trustees know they can up their tuition rates AND get public funding to pay for their pipe dreams.

It must be working, because you don’t see the construction stop. Besides, Johnny and Susie must have the best – children are our future – didn’t you know that? Of course Johnny, Susie, their children and subsequent grandchildren generations from now will be paying the debt burden for many foreseeable decades. Is there a modicum sense of value and thrift when speaking about education?  Does anyone understand the scam that is going on? Even when Johnny and Susie can’t find a job after they receive their medieval studies degree?

The rotting of America from within continues…