Dark Age Ahead, By Jane Jacobs - 1282 Words

In her novel, Dark Age Ahead, Jane Jacobs discusses why five pillars of society are in danger. These five pillars are families rigged to fail, credentialing versus education, science abandoned, and dumb-downed taxes and self-policing subverted. She goes into detail as to why each of these sections of our society is struggling and is destined for a dark age. However, for the purpose of this paper, I will focus on education and my agreement as to how educational institutions are focusing on credentialing its student instead of educating them. When entering a postsecondary education institution, parents and students alike believe that a good education is a ticket to a successful job after graduation. This is especially true when the cost†¦show more content†¦These numbers can be frightening for students who have to take out loans to finance their education. However, many students do not understand what is waiting for them after graduation. Students are encouraged to pick a su bject to study that interest them; although this is important, students also need to look at the job opportunities available in that field of study. For example, many young students aspire to become teachers, the job definitely has some perks, but finding a full-time job in teaching can be difficult. According to Maclean’s â€Å"67 per cent of education graduates from Ontario’s class of 2009 found themselves unemployed or underemployed in the following year† (Dehaas 2011). When there are little to no job opportunities students begin to feel the pressure and retreat back to what they know, school. Graduate school seems great and all, but sometimes it is not the right track to take. Students accumulate more debt, become more specialized and expect higher pay because of their higher education. The Economist reports, â€Å"In Canada 80% of postdocs earn $38,600 or less per year before tax – the average salary of a construction worker† (The Economist 20 10). Students need to weigh their options before running back to school. It might be best to work at a local restaurant for a year while looking for a job in your career. When young students are faced with the option to attend university or college many often sign up without any questions because they do not want