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| Author | Bryan Caplan |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Allan Robertson |
| Language | English |
| Subject |
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| Publisher | Princeton University Press |
Publication date | January 30, 2018 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type |
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| Pages | 417 Hardcover |
| ISBN | 978-0691174655 |
The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money[1] is a book written by libertarian economist Bryan Caplan and published in 2018 by Princeton University Press. Drawing on the economic concept of job market signaling and research in educational psychology, the book argues that much of higher education is very inefficient and has only a small effect in improving human capital, contrary to the conventional consensus in labor economics.
Caplan argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skills but to certify their intelligence, conscientiousness, and conformity—attributes that are valued by employers. He ultimately estimates that approximately 80% of individuals' return to education is the result of signaling, with the remainder due to human capital accumulation.
- ^ Caplan, Bryan (2018). The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691174655.