Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Higher Expectations for Higher Education

An interesting opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal decries the college experience as largely useless for most courses of study, speaking favorably instead of a certification system--like that used for certified public accountants--which measures knowledge and skill rather than length of study or specific coursework.

Earlier in the summer I wrote that I believed apprenticeship or other similar systems were far more effective than our current institutions of higher education, and that for many people they were simply a waste of time and money. It's interesting to hear similar thoughts expressed in the WSJ.

This is especially intriguing given that ACOG has decided that its second most important legislative priority is to eliminate certified professional midwives. More important, say, than access to care for low-income women, more important than insurers who refuse to cover the Cesareans that the obstetricians are forcing them into. Corraling certified professional midwives who serve less than 1% of the population...good to know that obstetricians truly care for women, and have their priorities straight.

No comments: