Summary of Bryan Douglas Caplan's The Case against Education

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Education pays in the labor market, and it is not an exception. High school graduates earn more than dropouts, college graduates earn more than high school graduates, and holders of advanced degrees do even better.

#2 The disconnect between the curriculum and the job market has a simple explanation: educators teach what they know, and most have little firsthand knowledge of the modern workplace. Yet this still doesn’t explain why students spend so much time studying subjects that aren’t relevant to the modern labor market.

#3 If education improves students’ skills, we should not be surprised by the impractical subjects that students have to study. We should be equally surprised by the eminently practical subjects that students don’t have to study.

#4 The education system seems to have a weak tie between curriculum and labor market, as well as a strong tie between educational success and professional success. Yet employers seem to disagree, as they use academic track records to decide whom to hire and how much to pay.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Sep 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798350002041

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Bryan Douglas Caplan's The Case against Education

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Education pays in the labor market, and it is not an exception. High school graduates earn more than dropouts, college graduates earn more than high school graduates, and holders of advanced degrees do even better.

#2

The disconnect between the curriculum and the job market has a simple explanation: educators teach what they know, and most have little firsthand knowledge of the modern workplace. Yet this still doesn’t explain why students spend so much time studying subjects that aren’t relevant to the modern labor market.

#3

If education improves students’ skills, we should not be surprised by the impractical subjects that students have to study. We should be equally surprised by the eminently practical subjects that students don’t have to study.

#4

The education system seems to have a weak tie between curriculum and labor market, as well as a strong tie between educational success and professional success. Yet employers seem to disagree, as they use academic track records to decide whom to hire and how much to pay.

#5

The labor market doesn't pay you for the useless subjects you master, but for the preexisting traits you reveal by mastering them. Academic success is a strong signal of worker productivity.

#6

The signaling model states that there are different types of people, and that an individual’s type must be nonobvious. The model also states that certain types of people must visibly differ on average, and that deviations from average are okay.

#7

The signaling model of education is just a special case of what economists call statistical discrimination: using true-on-average stereotypes to save time and money.

#8

The signaling model explains the mismatched relationship between school and work. It explains that good jobs are intellectually demanding, and that education is just a signal of intelligence. But it also explains that education signals conscientiousness, the student’s discipline, work ethic, and commitment to quality.

#9

Education is a signal of conformity to society’s expectations. The road to academic success and the road to job success are paved with the same materials: intelligence, conscientiousness, and conformity.

#10

Education is one way to show employers you