What if instead of universities, corporations had extensive training opportunities available to high school graduates. This programwould be most intense for the firest 2 or 3 years, but continued serveral years after that on a part-time basis. There would be a cost paid by the student for the years in which they are just learning, however, a pay-back contract could be sign where part of the students wages (once the student begins to work) are funneled into an account to pay for the preceding education. So, instead of going to state university, or vocational school, you would go to Google University or the Apple Academy of Computer Arts.
Certainly the Harvards and MITs of the world would still exist, but exclusively in pursuit of higher acadamia. And would primarily be privately and grant funded.
The reason I bring all of this up, is that i have long thought that there has been a devious trend in (especially) state education. As states continue to cut funding in an effort that will certainly result in self-sustaining educational institutions, State Universities are going corporate. We all know this will in turn lead to a large increase in admissions, a large decrease in the value of education, and ultimately a decrease in the level of preparedness of the graduating students. The state of education in the United States will come to a head in the next 10 to 20 years, give or take. How to solve the problems remains to be seen.
Thinking Sparked by: John Maeda