The Case against Education by Bryan Caplan argues that the primary purpose of education is not for students to gain vital skills but rather to show off qualities potential employers desire, such as intelligence and conformity. The book dives into why students search for easy A’s and why, despite more access to education than ever, the average worker does not have substantially better job options.
The book proposes that this ‘runaway credential inflation’ is due mostly to employers rewarding workers for costly schooling that they don’t typically use. The solution? According to Caplan, cutting education spending is the best way forward – even if it proves unpopular in some quarters.
