One way in which Americans have always been exceptional has been in our support for education. First we took the lead in universal primary education; then the âhigh school movementâ made us the first nation to embrace widespread secondary education. And after World War II, public support, including the G.I. Bill and a huge expansion of public universities, helped large numbers of Americans to get college degrees.
But now one of our two major political parties has taken a hard right turn against education, or at least against education that working Americans can afford. Remarkably, this new hostility to education is shared by the social conservative and economic conservative wings of the Republican coalition, now embodied in the persons of Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney.
And this comes at a time when American education is already in deep trouble.
About that hostility: Mr. Santorum made headlines by declaring that President Obama wants to expand college enrollment because colleges are âindoctrination millsâ that destroy religious faith.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/opinion/krugman-ignorance-is-strength.html?_r=1
But now one of our two major political parties has taken a hard right turn against education, or at least against education that working Americans can afford. Remarkably, this new hostility to education is shared by the social conservative and economic conservative wings of the Republican coalition, now embodied in the persons of Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney.
And this comes at a time when American education is already in deep trouble.
About that hostility: Mr. Santorum made headlines by declaring that President Obama wants to expand college enrollment because colleges are âindoctrination millsâ that destroy religious faith.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/opinion/krugman-ignorance-is-strength.html?_r=1