Here are some expert opinions on the flaws in the education system:

1. Scarcity and Market Power:

   • Michael Smith, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, critiques higher education for controlling resources like classroom seats, expert faculty, and valuable credentials, which he argues leads to bad outcomes. He emphasizes that the system is resistant to change due to its focus on maintaining the status quo 1.

2. Political Agendas:

   • Yoram Hazony, on the Lex Fridman Podcast, argues that politics infiltrates education, shifting focus from pedagogical effectiveness to political agendas. He believes education should be treated as a market service, free from state control that tends to push authoritarian aims 2.

3. Outcome Misconceptions:

   • Fredrik deBoer challenges the assumption that education can drastically alter academic outcomes for everyone. He views this belief as an illusion that leads to ineffective policies and calls for strategies to lessen failures rather than endless attempts to transform the distribution of academic success 3.
     

     1

     Higher Education Critique

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     2

     Education and Politics

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     3

     Challenging Education Illusions

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     4

     Education and Inequality

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     5

     Rethinking Education

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4. Reinforcement of Inequality:

   • Steven Levitt points out that higher education exacerbates income inequality by limiting access to prestigious institutions. Despite the ideal of education as a pathway to opportunity, the reality is a stark disparity in educational attainment between different income levels 4.

5. Mismatch Between Schooling and Life Skills:

   • Matt Beaudreau criticizes the traditional schooling system for focusing narrowly on academic achievements that don't necessarily translate to real-life skills. He argues for an education system that supports individual sovereignty and life skills rather than enforcing conformity 5.

These critiques highlight significant systemic issues within both higher and general education systems, focusing on market power, political influences, unrealistic expectations, socioeconomic inequality, and a mismatch between schooling and practical life skills.