Wasted Education

An urgent reality check for America’s blinkered fixation on STEM education. We live in an era of STEM obsession. Not only do tech companies dominate American enterprise and economic growth while complaining of STEM shortages, but we also need scientific solutions to impending crises. As a society, we have poured enormous resources—including billions of dollars—into cultivating young minds for well-paid STEM careers. Yet despite it all, we are facing a worker exodus, with as many as 70% of STEM graduates opting out of STEM work. Sociologist John D. Skrentny investigates why, and the answer, he shows, is simple: the failure of STEM jobs. Wasted Education reveals how STEM work drives away bright graduates as a result of “burn and churn” management practices, lack of job security, constant training for a neverending stream of new—and often socially harmful—technologies, and the exclusion of women, people of color, and older workers. Wasted Education shows that if we have any hope of improving the return on our STEM education investments, we have to change the way we’re treating the workers on whom our future depends.

Furedi turns his attention To The education system, skilfully analysing current processes and providing a way forward.

Hearing on the education process called Education at a Crossroads. Witnesses include students, parents, teachers, administrators, and Governors about what's working in education at the local level. Witnesses: Terry Granstad, Gov., State of Iowa; Marvin Pomerantz, Iowa Commission on Educational Excellence in the 21st Century; Steve McDermott, Principal, Fontanelle, IA; Luvern Gubbels, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Des Moines; James Hawkins, Coordinator, Cooperative Education, Norwalk (IA) Community School; and Randy Richardson, technology consultant, Loess Hill Education Agency 13, Council Bluffs, IA.

This book offers a smart and tightly reasoned critique of the educational status quo.

Why we need to stop wasting public funds on education Despite being immensely popular—and immensely lucrative—education is grossly overrated. Now with a new afterword by Bryan Caplan, this explosive book argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skills but to signal the qualities of a good employee. Learn why students hunt for easy As only to forget most of what they learn after the final exam, why decades of growing access to education have not resulted in better jobs for average workers, how employers reward workers for costly schooling they rarely ever use, and why cutting education spending is the best remedy. Romantic notions about education being "good for the soul" must yield to careful research and common sense—The Case against Education points the way.

PRAISE FOR WASTED ‘This book enhances our understanding of the historical issues that have plagued India’s sanitation challenge. A must read for those who are interested in the important agenda of a clean environment for all’ NAINA LAL KIDWAI, Chair, India-Sanitation Coalition ‘Despite the clarion call by our Prime Minister, Indian society still lacks clarity on the nature of the desirable solution for sanitation. Wasted is a serious attempt at pointing out possibilities and solutions. Written lucidly and in a narrative style; it provides an inspiring peek of a clean future. A much-needed book for our times’ DR RAJIV KUMAR, Vice Chairman, Niti Aayog ‘Wasted advocates that the handling of waste in India requires the finest management and developmental architecture. The book remarkably delves into the depth and breadth of the problem of yesterday and today and presents it as a free-flowing storytelling’ MARTIN MACWAN, Dalit human rights activist ‘Wasted locates India’s missed opportunities in sanitation in its complex civilizational legacy; its comfort with caste, informality and child labour; and in its appalling local governance systems. Necessary reading for every policy maker, town planner and engaged urban citizen.’ HARSH MANDER, author and activist ‘Wasted addresses India’s complex caste-driven perception of waste. It traces the illogic of our constant discontent with modes of disposal, while being deliberately blind to socio-political processes behind its creation. This book must be read by all concerned Indians’ ARUNA ROY, socio-political activist and Magsaysay Award winner (2000) ‘India is not working on the science needed towards the management of pollution that it emits in the name of development. Therefore, even well-intentioned projects do not yield results. This book can be an entry point to understanding the process to reduce use of nature and to rejuvenate nature for our sustainable future’ DR RAJENDRA SINGH, environmentalist and Magsaysay Award winner (2001) ABOUT THE BOOK Urban India generates close to 3 million trucks of untreated garbage every day. If these were laid end-to-end, one could reach half way to the moon. The need for attention to sanitation and cleanliness is both urgent and long-term. This book takes an honest look into India’s perpetual struggle with these issues and suggests measures to overcome them. Historically, we have developed into a society with a skewed mindset towards sanitation with our caste system and non-accountability towards sanitation. Through stories, anecdotes and analysis of events, this book seeks solutions to the current entangled problems of urban planning, governance and legislation, and institutional and human capacity building. Wasted traces interesting relationships between urban planning and dirty cities in India; legislative and governance lacunae and the rising height of open landfills; the informality of waste management methods, and the degrading health of Indian rivers, soil and air. Arguing that all current solutions of India are extrapolated from these flawed beliefs and structures and are therefore woefully inadequate, Bisen draws a benchmark from clean countries of today. Underlining the need for inclusive human clusters, specificity in legislation, correction of existing social contracts and governance frameworks, creating a formal resource recovery industry in India, and the pursuit of diplomacy around this industry, this book shows how these solutions could lead us towards a brighter future and better social development.