I'd actually agree that Finland's culture (greater appreciation for education) may play a role in making their system better. I'm guessing over there you rarely hear politicians calling teachers lazy and overpaid?

11/1/2011 3:38:35 PM

http://www.npr.org/2011/10/17/141434876/do-too-many-kids-go-to-college

An Intelligence Squared debate.

11/1/2011 3:40:55 PM

^^ that's a great point! my sister is a teacher in Berlin, and she'll admit that there's much more support for and prestige attached to the role of teacher in Germany (and Europe in general) than here. That being said, the standards teachers are held to there are MUCH higher than in the U.S., so it would make sense - they make teachers perform to a higher standard and then pay them better to do so; thus, the teaching profession is held in a higher regard. Which I think is where the U.S. was years ago?

but i'll have to say that comparing our culture to Finland's is a bit of a stretch - they're a much smaller and completely homogenous country, so it's not really apples to apples. it makes them very efficient and economical with years of conditioning the same people to behave the same way...but it also makes them extremely boring. I've spent lots of time in Norway, and Oslo is one of the cleanest, nicest, and most un-interesting cities i've ever spent time in

[Edited on November 1, 2011 at 4:04 PM. Reason : .]

11/1/2011 4:03:43 PM

If you cut out fed student loans then many people from a background such as myself will not be able to go to university. If you have no money and no cosigner, then how do you propose getting a loan?
I got a loan, graduated summa, and now I am in year 5 of grad school.

11/1/2011 4:21:25 PM

i propose you prove to the lender how smart you are and demonstrate how this smartness is going to get you a job after your finished with school so you can pay them back!

11/1/2011 4:26:09 PM

How do you prove your intelligence?

11/1/2011 4:46:15 PM

11/1/2011 5:09:39 PM