It’s so funny to hear the leaders of higher ed bleat about how hard they’re working to keep tuition down. It’s even funnier to watch them get a 6 digit signing bonus, and, for the Poo Bahs, a 7 digit parachute when they leave, and constant raises and luxurious benefits while they work. Then the […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
18 straight years of increasing student debt
How math education can catch up to the 21st century
In 1939, the fictional professor J. Abner Pediwell published a curious book called “The Saber-Tooth Curriculum.” Through a series of satirical lectures, Pediwell (or the actual author, education professor Harold R. W. Benjamin) describes a Paleolithic curriculum that includes lessons in grabbing fish with your bare hands and scaring saber-toothed tigers with fire. Even after […] … learn more→
Profit must not pervert education
“The profit per boy is £40.” The utterance conjured Dickensian visions of a calculatingly finger-licking Fagan, or a pitiless mill owner, or even a slave-marketeer, prodding the muscles of small merchandise and critically examining their teeth. But the independent-school headmaster, from whose lips I heard the pronouncement more than 40 years ago, was not talking […] … learn more→
Refugees welcome? How UK and Sweden compare on education for young migrants
In the UK, the world’s fifth richest economy, vulnerable children are being denied education. Asylum seekers and refugee children are struggling to access education – and unable to attend school or college. This contravenes rights to equal educational access in accordance with international human rights law. I’m currently working on research projects about child refugees, […] … learn more→
From botnet to malware: a guide to decoding cybersecurity buzzwords
Words like worm, trojan horse and zombie may seem like the stuff of science fiction, but they’re part of the reality of life online. Now that we communicate, work and entertain ourselves on the internet, these familiar terms start to take on new meaning. They’re just a few of the cybersecurity threats we face. While […] … learn more→
Swedish academia is no meritocracy
In some ways, Sweden’s education system embodies the egalitarian, democratic and meritocratic values for which the country is famous. Most students, for instance, receive both free tuition and a monthly stipend. However, in a nation consistently ranked among the five least corrupt in the world, it is an open secret among academics that their sector […] … learn more→
UNC fraud penalty (nothing) paid in full
With all the Progressive silliness on campus today, it’s easy to miss a big underlying cause: a broken accreditation system. For newcomers, a quick primer on accreditation: Scholars came together to share information, and these gatherings turned into universities, with a mission of education: either humanity (by researching new knowledge) or of humans (by the […] … learn more→
Incentives for academics can have unintended, negative consequences
Rent seeking is a term coined in economics to describe the process by which private entities seek to use the state’s power to obtain or protect excessive economic surplus. A classic example of this behaviour is when a monopolist bribes politicians or officials to protect or maintain the monopoly power that allows the company in […] … learn more→
Growing use of smart drugs by students could be a recipe for disaster
It’s that time of year again. The blossom is on the trees, and university libraries and reading rooms are heaving with students poring over laptops, textbooks and stacks of notes – exam season is here. Though the quality of teaching is arguably as good as its ever been, and the support students get in terms […] … learn more→
How Trump’s harsh education cuts undermine his economic growth goals
The Trump administration has some ambitious goals that include trillions in tax cuts, a significant military buildup and a fresh investment in infrastructure. The White House released details of how it plans to pay for it all in its full budget request for fiscal year 2018: by slashing spending on pretty much everything else, but […] … learn more→
