Debates by Category: Education

February 14, 2012

Universities: Bigger Isn’t Better

American universities’ incessant race to make themselves bigger and better (the Harvard model) has instead driven up costs and deterred students. Pro or con?

November 3, 2011

The Campus Sustainability Movement Should Drop Out

The campus sustainability movement subtracts from the better purposes of higher education. Pro or con?

August 30, 2011

U.S. Kids Should Learn Chinese

Mandarin should be a core language offered in all American public schools. Pro or con?

July 28, 2011

College Grads Need Skills, Not Liberal Arts

Parents should encourage their children to specialize in undergraduate degrees rather than going the liberal arts route. Pro or con?

March 3, 2011

Teacher Tenure Aces the Test

To attract the best educators, school systems are wise to continue awarding tenure. Pro or con?

October 31, 2010

Online Universities Are a Great Study

Virtual and other types of alternative learning eventually will supplant many bricks-and-mortar universities that charge five and six figures for bachelor’s degrees. Pro or con?

July 23, 2010

College Is Worth the Cost

The earning potential and variety of opportunities a bachelor’s degree bestows justify the cost of tuition. Pro or con?

May 13, 2010

School Kids, Axe the Social Networking

For students, social networking sites have no educational value due to the inherently truncated, shallow nature of communication on them. Pro or con?

April 28, 2010

Failing Schools Need Help from Business

Business leaders are better suited than principals and teachers to turn around the public educational system in the U.S. Pro or con?

March 18, 2010

State Tuition Hikes? Deal With Them

Public university students should stop protesting tuition increases. Cash-strapped states have no choice but to raise fees, and even with the cost hikes, state schools are a huge bargain compared to their private counterparts. Pro or con?

July 2, 2009

Schools Should Give Kids Free Contraceptives

Making free birth control available to school kids would be a boon to the U.S.—decreasing the rates of teen pregnancy, welfare dependence, and school drop-out. Pro or con?

March 11, 2009

Raise Teachers’ Salaries

Most of the economic stimulus money earmarked for schools should go to increase educators’ pay. Pro or con?

February 18, 2009

Stop the Standardized Test Tyranny

Standardized testing is a poor way to judge how well schools educate their students. Pro or con?

October 7, 2008

Wealthy Colleges: Ante Up

Colleges and universities should be required to spend 5% of their endowments every year or risk losing their tax-exempt status. Pro or con?

September 15, 2008

Charter Schools Get Top Marks

Primary and secondary schools created via private funding and effort exceed conventional public schools in quality. Pro or con?

July 22, 2008

Selective Tuition Hikes Make Sense

Colleges are justified in imposing differential tuition—charging higher fees for certain courses of study such as business that pay more. Pro or con?

October 24, 2007

College Coaches Need Not Apply

Hiring professionals to help rich kids get into desired schools could backfire; plus it’s unfair to low-income candidates. Pro or con?

August 8, 2007

Teachers’ Unions Need a Lesson

To fix public education, the U.S. needs to start with the teachers’ unions. Pro or con?

July 18, 2007

MBA: A Mere Option

So many executives have enjoyed stellar careers without the benefit of a master’s of business administration that its value is clearly overrated. Pro or con?

June 21, 2007

Throw the Book at College Rankings

The rankings U.S. News & World Report gives to colleges and universities count too much toward these institutions’ esteem. Pro or con?