All necessary knowledge is learned when it is needed

A small number of people needed to acquire specific skills Those were learned by way of apprenticing

There was no need for formal education

As society became more complex more positions required unique skills As a result, there were more people apprenticing We started to see what is now known as “trade schools”

With the expansion of our bureaucratized states, more people were needed to spend their days engaged in jobs that required literacy And so more and more people were asked/required to

attend school For example, book keepers, lawyers, traders

There was more of a need for formal education

Our need for specialized occupations has lagged behind the number of people who are prepared to earn degrees

Many jobs that “require” college degrees (and advanced degrees) could actually be completed by “less educated people”

School (and degrees) act as a way to separate, sort, and divide the population This allows for a more rational method of

funneling people into careers and jobs

Primary function of schools and universities today?

1. Socialize people and help bring them into maturity

2. Prepare some people for careers that require specialized knowledge

3. Create a literate population (which somewhat happens)

4. Rationalize the sorting process

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Based on a national survey of over 1,800 institutions of higher educationConducted by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 2003

1972

2002

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Based on a national survey of over 1,800 institutions of higher educationConducted by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 2003

1972

2002

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Based on a national survey of over 1,800 institutions of higher educationConducted by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 2003

1972

2002

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Based on a national survey of over 1,800 institutions of higher educationConducted by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 2003

1972

2002

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Based on a national survey of over 1,800 institutions of higher educationConducted by the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, 2003

1972

2002