examines the crisis in the public education system. It airs at 8 ET Saturday night. The general public and university presidents disagree about the purpose of college, who ought to pay for it and whether today's students are getting their money's worth.
But university presidents and the average American agree that the cost of higher education now exceeds the reach of most people.
Those are broad findings from a pair of surveys released late Sunday from the nonprofit Pew Research Center. The surveys took place this March and April, one posing college-related questions to 2,142 American adults, the other to 1,055 presidents of colleges large, small, public, private and for-profit. The two surveys contained some identical questions and some peculiar to each group.
The surveys show the two groups dividing along predictable fault lines. The idea that students and families should bear the largest share of college costs won approval from almost two-thirds of college presidents—but from only 48% of the general public. As for the value of a college degree, a majority of Americans say it isn't worth the cost—or anyway that "it fails to provide good value for the money students and their families spend," said the 159-page Pew report on the two surveys.
University presidents, meanwhile, suggest that quality-of-learning concerns might better be focused on high school; 58% of university presidents say that high schools are doing a worse job than they did a decade ago at preparing students for college.
Clearly, college remains a big part of the American dream. Of the surveyed adults who had at least one child under age 18, 94% said they expect that child to attend college, and 53% said they are saving to pay for it.
But college isn't their highest priority. When asked what it takes for a young person to succeed, the general public listed a college education as less important than a good work ethic, ability to get along with people and work skills learned on the job.
Moreover, 57% of 18- to 34-year-olds surveyed who had no bachelor's degree and weren't enrolled in college said they would rather work and make money than go to school. Two-thirds of that group attributed the discontinuation of their education to a need to support their families.
In both graduates and nongraduates of college, the survey found strikingly accurate assessments of the earnings value of a college degree. On average, graduates estimated that they earn $20,000 a year for having obtained a degree. That's that same amount that adults with only a high-school degree believe that their lack of a college degree is costing them per year. Both of those estimates are consistent with actual research on the two groups, the Pew study said.
Only 22% of the general population surveyed believes that most people can afford a college education today—a decline from 39% of Americans who felt that way a quarter century ago, Pew said.
The survey of college presidents, conducted in conjunction with the Chronicle of Higher Education, found that while six in 10 believe that American higher education is headed in the right direction, four in 10 see it headed the other way.
Only 19% of college presidents see U.S. higher education as best in the world, and only 51% see it as one of the best. Yet among presidents of highly selective colleges and universities, 40% see the U.S. system as tops in the world.
Write to Kevin Helliker at kevin.helliker@wsj.com
教育基本法
民國八十八年六月二十三日總統 (88) 華總 (一) 義字
第八八○○一 四二七三○號令制定公布全文 17 條
| 第一條 | 為保障人民學習及受教育之權利，確立教育基本方針，健全教育體制，特制定本法。 |
| 第二條 | 人民為教育權之主體。 教育之目的以培養人民健全人格、民主素養、法治觀念、人文涵養、強健 體魄及思考、判斷與創造能力，並促進其對基本人權之尊重、生態環境之 保護及對不同國家、族群、性別、宗教、文化之瞭解與關懷，使其成為具 有國家意識與國際視野之現代化國民。 為實現前項教育目的，國家、教育機構、教師、父母應負協助之責任。 |
| 第三條 | 教育之實施，應本有教無類、因材施教之原則，以人文精神及科學方法，尊重人性價值，致力開發個人潛能，培養群性，協助個人追求自我實現。 |
| 第四條 | 人民無分性別、年齡、能力、地域、族群、宗教信仰、政治理念、社經地位及其他條件，接受教育之機會一律平等。對於原住民、身心障礙者及其他弱勢族群之教育，應考慮其自主性及特殊性，依法令予以特別保障，並扶助其發展。 |
| 第五條 | 各級政府應寬列教育經費，並合理分配及運用教育資源。對偏遠及特殊地區之教育，應優先予以補助。 教育經費之編列應予以保障；其編列與保障之方式，另以法律定之。 |
| 第六條 | 教育應本中立原則。學校不得為特定政治團體或宗教信仰從事宣傳，主管教育行政機關及學校亦不得強迫學校行政人員、教師及學生參加任何政治團體或宗教活動。 |
| 第七條 | 人民有依教育目的興學之自由；政府對於私人及民間團體興辦教育事業，應依法令提供必要之協助或經費補助，並依法進行財務監督。其著有貢獻者，應予獎勵。 政府為鼓勵私人興學，得將公立學校委託私人辦理；其辦法由該主管教育行政機關定之。 |
| 第八條 | 教育人員之工作、待遇及進修等權利義務，應以法律定之，教師之專業自主應予尊重。 學生之學習權及受教育權，國家應予保障。 國民教育階段內，家長負有輔導子女之責任；並得為其子女之最佳福祉，依法律選擇受教育之方式、內容及參與學校教育事務之權利。 學校應在各級政府依法監督下，配合社區發展需要，提供良好學習環境。 |
| 第九條 | 中央政府之教育權限如下︰ 一 教育制度之規劃設計。 二 對地方教育事務之適法監督。 三 執行全國性教育事務，並協調或協助各地方教育之發展。 四 中央教育經費之分配與補助。 五 設立並監督國立學校及其他教育機構。 六 教育統計、評鑑與政策研究。 七 促進教育事務之國際交流。 八 依憲法規定對教育事業、教育工作者、少數民族及弱勢群體之教育事項，提供獎勵、扶助或促其發展。 前項列舉以外之教育事項，除法律另有規定外，其權限歸屬地方。 |
| 第十條 | 直轄巿及縣 (巿) 政府應設立教育審議委員會，定期召開會議，負責主管教育事務之審議、諮詢、協調及評鑑等事宜。 前項委員會之組成，由直轄巿及縣 (巿) 政府首長或教育局局長為召集人 ，成員應包含教育學者專家、家長會、教師會、教師、社區、弱勢族群、 教育及學校行政人員等代表；其設置辦法由直轄巿、縣 (巿) 政府定之。 |
| 第十一條 | 國民基本教育應視社會發展需要延長其年限；其實施另以法律定之。 前項各類學校之編制，應以小班小校為原則，中央主管教育行政機關應做妥善規劃並提供各校必要之援助。 |
| 第十二條 | 國家應建立現代化之教育制度，力求學校及各類教育機構之普及，並應注 重學校教育、家庭教育及社會教育之結合與平衡發展，推動終身教育，以滿足國民及社會需要。 |
| 第十三條 | 政府及民間得視需要進行教育實驗，並應加強教育研究及評鑑工作，以提昇教育品質，促進教育發展。 |
| 第十四條 | 人民享有請求學力鑑定之權利。 學力鑑定之實施，由各級主管教育行政機關指定之學校或教育測驗服務機構行之。 |
| 第十五條 | 教師專業自主權及學生學習權遭受學校或主管教育行政機關不當或違法之侵害時，政府應依法令提供當事人或其法定代理人有效及公平救濟之管道。 |
| 第十六條 | 本法施行後，應依本法之規定，修正、廢止或制 (訂) 定相關教育法令。 |
| 第十七條 | 本法自公布日施行。 |
“量”無法反映”質”—台中某校的新生宿舍可以提供三千多床，可是其他的服務呢？
今天讀台大的《意識報》第40期，才知道台北的情形。公共廚房是我1978年在英國 Essex 大學的方便煮食和社交處。他們宿舍樓約12間 ，中間向外處有約兩間大小之用用廚房提供兩套烹飪設備 (2-4 電爐頭/一 oven等等)。
“東吳可以 台大不行嗎？
「剛搬進來時，舍監（宿舍輔導員）告訴我們不能煮，因為可能會讓整棟宿舍起火跳電。大家聽了就沒再多問，也沒想過可以有安全的公共空間。」數學系一年 級的邱太乙回想半年前剛住進宿舍時，輔導員對新生的告誡。事實上，大學宿舍即使興建時未設立烹飪區，新增此烹飪空間並非不可能。以東吳大學為例，十多年前 即進行所有宿舍的翻修[1]，現在每棟宿舍都有公用的廚房，裡面有微波爐、電磁爐、電鍋，並提供鍋碗瓢盆等簡易廚具。『本校宿舍設備長期以來已由「陽春 型」（僅提供住宿同學基本需要階段），逐漸轉變為「有加料」，再走向「好可以再更好」。』東吳大學住宿組對自己的期許如此，那台大呢？十幾年前東吳就已經 開始為了學生不同需求而與時並進地增設廚房，十多年後的台大難道辦不到嗎？自炊需求確實存在，與其讓住宿同學冒險在房間內烹煮，違規又危險，建置化的設制 公共廚房，是台大宿舍可以參考的方向。
[1]民國85年至民國87年，東吳大學進行宿舍翻修。資料來源為東吳大學住宿組網頁 http://webbuilder.scu.edu.tw/builder/index.php?web=90 “
近年，《天下雜誌》等每年都會出版類似《台灣的大學指引》。我前些日子看書店上翻翻。私校中有輔仁、東海、亞洲等校專頁 (不知是否要付行銷費? )
我提出一些問題給朋友思考。
內文學校特色中說每年新生中選百名參加”博雅教育”---對許多人而言，或對大部分人而言，這項是否有點”反宣傳”呢？ (每年多少新生？)
其他的統計數字都沒印象，唯有我認為一項，其實是東海特色的(要是好好經營而經濟實惠的話) ，那就是提供新生三千多宿舍。我以為，這才可能是東海的優勢---只是不知為什麼許多新宿舍周圍卻不多植樹……
Germany's former defense minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, "deliberately cheated" in his doctoral thesis, the University of Bayreuth in the state of Bavaria announced on Friday.
Guttenberg found himself in the midst of a plagiarism scandal in February after allegations surfaced that he had copied large segments of his doctoral thesis. Guttenberg resigned his government position and had his doctoral title revoked, but asserted that any plagiarism was inadvertent.
In a statement, the University of Bayreuth revealed that Guttenberg did indeed knowingly cheat in his doctoral dissertation.
"After a thorough investigation of allegations against his dissertation, the committee finds that obviously Guttenberg gravely violated the standards of good academic practice and deliberately cheated."
Plagiarism evident throughout
The three-month investigation found that plagiarized material was evident throughout the dissertation, which compared constitutional developments in the European Union with those in the US.
Bayreuth University asserted that in many cases, Guttenberg "usurped" large passages from other people's work, slightly altering the words and not accrediting the ideas to the original author.
The full 40-page report on the case, which is due to be published on Wednesday, is also expected to also criticize Guttenberg's doctoral supervisor, Peter Häberle, and the second assessor of the thesis, Rudolf Streinz.
The panel said that they found no evidence of outstanding ideas in Guttenberg's work, meaning that it did not deserve a first class award.
Commenting on the case, Ulrike Grote, a spokesperson for university affairs for the Green Party, said that Guttenberg's assertion that the plagiarism was accidental was "particularly deplorable."
"This shows that until the last, Guttenberg has developed no guilt or insight into his actions. This has discredited him as a candidate for future political office," she added.
Criminal charges
Guttenberg, a baron, and married to a descendant of former German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, was voted Germany's most popular politician during his career. At 39, he rose quickly up the political ladder and many even tipped him as a future chancellor. Since resigning his position, however, Guttenberg has taken a break from public life.
Two months ago, prosecutors in the Bavarian city of Hof launched an investigation into allegations of copyright infringement, which can carry a prison sentence of up to three years, or a fine.
Author: Charlotte Chelsom-Pill (dpa, AFP)
Editor: Nicole Goebel
HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE WILL BURST
Reminiscent of the recent stock market and real estate bubbles, escalating college prices are continuing to reach new heights. According to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, average tuition in the past two and a half decades has risen by 440 percent, which is more than four times the rate of inflation. While higher ed costs remain untethered to economic realities, students with college loans to pay off continue to graduate into abysmal job markets. Under the circumstances, it's easy to make the case that something has to give. The commentary is in U.S. News and World Report.
FOUNDATIONS JOIN TO OFFER ONLINE COURSES FOR SCHOOLS
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropy, and the foundation associated with Pearson, the giant textbook and school technology company, announced a partnership on Wednesday to create online reading and math courses aligned with the new academic standards that some 40 states have adopted in recent months. The 24 new courses will use video, interactive software, games, social media and other digital materials to present math lessons for kindergarten through 10th grade and English lessons for kindergarten through 12th grade, Pearson and Gates officials said. The article is in The New York Times.
The 24 new courses will use video, interactive software, games, social media and other digital materials to present math lessons for kindergarten through 10th grade and English lessons for kindergarten through 12th grade, Pearson and Gates officials said.
Widespread adoption of the new standards, known as the common core, has provoked a race among textbook publishers to revise their current classroom offerings so they align with the standards, and to produce new materials. The Gates-Pearson initiative appears to be the most ambitious such effort so far.
The Pearson Foundation is heading the course-writing effort. But Pearson Education, which owns textbook houses like Prentice Hall and sells an array of multimedia classroom tools, will market 20 of the new courses to schools and districts.
The Gates Foundation, which has promoted the common core standards movement in its philanthropy, is providing $3 million so that four of the 24 courses can be offered free to schools, partly to give educators a taste of how the digital courses can be used in classrooms.
“We’re hoping that by placing those four courses in a way that’s accessible, people will take a look at them and make connections,” said Mark Nieker, president of the Pearson Foundation.
In his educational work, Bill Gates has explored ways that new technologies can transform teaching. Vicki Phillips, a director at the Gates Foundation, said the partnership with Pearson was part of a “suite of investments” totaling more than $20 million that the foundation was undertaking, all of which involve new technology-based instructional approaches.
The new digital materials, Ms. Phillips said, “have the potential to fundamentally change the way students and teachers interact in the classroom.”
The partnership with the Gates Foundation could give Pearson a considerable advantage as textbook and learning technology companies position themselves in an education marketplace upended by the creation of the common standards.
“It’s a good deal for Pearson, and it’s good for Gates too, because it brings more attention to the standards,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, which has studied the evolution of state policies on the common core.
Susan Neuman, a former Education Department official in the George W. Bush administration who is now a professor at the University of Michigan, said the new course materials could provide an important link between the common core standards and the standardized tests that two consortia of states are writing, with $330 million in Department of Education financing.
“This is something that’s been missing in all the policy statements on the common core: a sequential curriculum,” Dr. Neuman said. But she worried that after a period of consolidation in the textbook publishing business, Pearson has few strong rivals.
“Pearson already dominates, and this could take it to the extreme,” she said. “This could be problematic for many of our kids. We could get a one size fits all.”
Judy Codding, a former president of a teacher training company, is leading the course development effort. Many of the courses should be completed by January 2013 and the rest by December 2013, she said. A challenge will be to find ways to excite students about learning, she added.
“We have a lot of kids in our country who haven’t met the lesser standards,” she said, “and now we’ve raised the bar. So we have a tall task to bring all kids along.”
