And now to Liberia: All 25000 university applicants fail

[The Voice of Time]

- or how Africa needs intellectualism...

http://www.voanews.com/content/liberia- ... 37581.html

The story is unbelievable to most, even for a country as small as Liberia, the idea that EVERYONE fails, is kind of unthinkable, that not even a single person gains entrance.

But this is not about Liberia, it is merely to discuss another thing. Although Liberia is in a unique situation because having been one of the most successful African countries some 50 years ago, the civil war and its horrors destroyed the country as much as any war can destroy a country. From prosperity it has gone to be one of the poorest countries in the world. Its literacy rate did not keep phase with the rest of Africa and it's now (2010 - http://www.factfish.com/statistic-count ... e,%20total) at only 60%! A staggering amount who cannot read a normal difficulty level book, and wouldn't surprise me if most of them can't even read a children's book. Liberia is an example however of a history of colonial and pre-colonial Africa that did not emphasize the value of reading, and the value of intellectualism.

Pssst! Please also consider reading the first comment in the original link, it provides valuable knowledge of the probable causes of failure.

Across Africa you'll not just find people who can't read, but I suspect a large portion has read fewer books than decades they have lived. Nearby Sierra Leone for instance only recently got its first national library, and the time it'll take for regional hub libraries to open in the country which'll be significantly appealing to a larger crowds of people is not something I'd expect too see much of within the current decade.

People who live in poverty and worry most about meals, clothing and housing, are not the ones who are bound to buy a lot of books or worry about reading. I think a large problem lays in the lack of investment in refining material. It's not enough to just teach people to read, you have to give them the opportunity to learn to be intellectual and explore great works of creativity. Reading material, but also videos (though books are more challenging to the mind), must be made available and the appeal must be made to children as well as adults to read and grow their intellects and empower themselves with imagination, facts, know-how, insights and more sophisticated discussion.

I think investment must be made in libraries on the country-side as well as small "corner-libraries" in school buildings, where exposure to readings from ones own culture, nation, country, as well as other countries, and the world literature at large, can foster a small but important social intellectualism that will empower people with alternative ways of thinking (not specifically "grandly" different ways, but everyday different ways) and inspiring good problem-solving as well as fostering beliefs based on facts and accuracy. As well it provides social cohesion and social understanding, as people read the same books or are exposed to traditions of writers that write similarly, and people can make reference that other people can understand.

I have great faith in this arrangement, as well as letting each country-side library have a single tablet of western quality (not any of those 50 dollars things) to let locals share and be exposed to high-tech. The tablets of course would have to be donated or bought by more resourceful agencies or governments and then further donated, but the point remains the same. Social intellectualism needs to be addressed as deep shortage in Africa, and early intervention, that means now, can make a big difference for later generations, and accelerate the growth nations, not just cultures, but nations (nation building is a recurring problem many places in Africa, there's a reason why they have civil wars and ethnic conflicts), across Africa, as people become a national community of shared intellectual power.

This said, it should also be considered that contests are held to promote national identity reinforcement and self-reflective intellectual achievement, as western ideas, however good, will always lack that perfection that a native can provide for his own people, if given the talent, the competence and the opportunity. Governments must sponsor the development of individuals who can lead their nations forward and shape a modern intellectual history of their countries, for instance, during the later times when aristocracy was still an important and central piece of Europe and its politics, it was customary to send off young men, almost entirely men, to different courts, countries and families to learn from differences and acquire highly praised knowledge or insight and especially experience and make acquaintances. In the 19th century the Norwegian government was deeply involved in the development of several domestic intellectual individuals by letting them travel across Europe to be exposed to other intellectuals and develop. Among such people I recently read about the world-praised composer Edvard Grieg (maker of "In the Hall of the Mountain King", a tune for which most of you would've heard) being one such person, and I also think it is highly valuable, but a risky investment, because like venture capital, you sometimes make mistakes, but when you do good: it can pay off tremendously, and those pay-offs those countries need to build their nations and an advanced intellectual community for which people can look up to and aspire towards as well as learn from.

[bobevenson]

Exams should not be necessary to get enrolled in any college or university. That is like McDonald's saying you have to pass an exam to get a hamburger. In a free market, schools are just like restaurants. Everything is offered for a price, and no questions are asked.

[The Voice of Time]

Exams should not be necessary to get enrolled in any college or university. That is like McDonald's saying you have to pass an exam to get a hamburger. In a free market, schools are just like restaurants. Everything is offered for a price, and no questions are asked.

But how should the university be able to serve as a stamp of credibility when people just cheat their way in? The whole purpose of the university would be lost, and a swarm of useless or highly inferior graduates would arise, and finding the right person if any for a job would be extremely tedious.

The university, in a free-market sense (though the one in question is public), is not worth its existence for those who wish to take advantage of its function unless those who enter prove their merits first.

[bobevenson]

Exams should not be necessary to get enrolled in any college or university. That is like McDonald's saying you have to pass an exam to get a hamburger. In a free market, schools are just like restaurants. Everything is offered for a price, and no questions are asked.

But how should the university be able to serve as a stamp of credibility when people just cheat their way in? The whole purpose of the university would be lost, and a swarm of useless or highly inferior graduates would arise, and finding the right person if any for a job would be extremely tedious.

The university, in a free-market sense (though the one in question is public), is not worth its existence for those who wish to take advantage of its function unless those who enter prove their merits first.

Colleges and universities are money-making scams, sitting on fat endowments, charging obscene tuitions, making vast amounts of money from sports, paying no taxes and getting other forms of government support. Making the bogus assumption that the purpose of education is to get a high-paying job, I believe employers can determine the value of potential employees without the help of leftist academia.

[The Voice of Time]

I believe employers can determine the value of potential employees without the help of leftist academia.

They can but I see no reason why they would want to do such a tedious task, it's a complete waste of their resources, better have a university which stamps credible students.

[bobevenson]

I believe employers can determine the value of potential employees without the help of leftist academia.

They can but I see no reason why they would want to do such a tedious task, it's a complete waste of their resources, better have a university which stamps credible students.

Please, universities are left-wing institutions that don't have the slightest idea what businesses even do, much less what qualifications are needed for particular jobs.

[The Voice of Time]

Please, universities are left-wing institutions that don't have the slightest idea what businesses even do, much less what qualifications are needed for particular jobs.

You are not very convincing of that. But it of course depends on the quality of university. Some universities works very close with business to deliver more tailored education, others deliver very general studies, however, for the person who studies, it becomes well that his study is general. In the modern world we live in creativity is also a very important part of most educated jobs, and general education widens the horizon for this. I don't think you have slightest clue what you are saying Bob, you should pay more respect to the words you write.

[bobevenson]

Please, universities are left-wing institutions that don't have the slightest idea what businesses even do, much less what qualifications are needed for particular jobs.

You are not very convincing of that. But it of course depends on the quality of university. Some universities works very close with business to deliver more tailored education, others deliver very general studies, however, for the person who studies, it becomes well that his study is general. In the modern world we live in creativity is also a very important part of most educated jobs, and general education widens the horizon for this. I don't think you have slightest clue what you are saying Bob, you should pay more respect to the words you write.

Why do you think universities have tenure? Name me a single business on the face of the Earth that has tenure. And you seriously think academia has anything of importance to offer businesses? As I said earlier, it's a gigantic scam, and anybody who buys into it is a gigantic fool, and a damned gigantic fool at that. As I've said many times before, education is the biggest scam on Earth, well, not as big as religion and patriotism, but, you know, it's right up there.

[Ginkgo]

Exams should not be necessary to get enrolled in any college or university. That is like McDonald's saying you have to pass an exam to get a hamburger. In a free market, schools are just like restaurants. Everything is offered for a price, and no questions are asked.

I'll have a Big Mac, fries and a hernia operation.

[bobevenson]

Exams should not be necessary to get enrolled in any college or university. That is like McDonald's saying you have to pass an exam to get a hamburger. In a free market, schools are just like restaurants. Everything is offered for a price, and no questions are asked.

I'll have a Big Mac, fries and a hernia operation.

Medical schools and hospitals are the biggest frauds on Earth. Because of the lack of a medical free market, unqualified doctors actually help hospitals make money by forcing patients to be readmitted after being released. Also, more infectious diseases are picked up in hospitals than outside of hospitals.

[Ginkgo]

Exams should not be necessary to get enrolled in any college or university. That is like McDonald's saying you have to pass an exam to get a hamburger. In a free market, schools are just like restaurants. Everything is offered for a price, and no questions are asked.

I'll have a Big Mac, fries and a hernia operation.

Medical schools and hospitals are the biggest frauds on Earth. Because of the lack of a medical free market, unqualified doctors actually help hospitals make money by forcing patients to be readmitted after being released. Also, more infectious diseases are picked up in hospitals than outside of hospitals.

Under your system we would have even more unqualified doctors entering the system.

[bobevenson]

Under your system we would have even more unqualified doctors entering the system.

Quite the opposite, my friend, free-market capitalism would improve medical care as it does everything else in this world.

[Ginkgo]

Under your system we would have even more unqualified doctors entering the system.

Quite the opposite, my friend, free-market capitalism would improve medical care as it does everything else in this world.

Lets, put it this way. As there is a price for everything medical. What would you be willing to pay for a Bachelor of Neurosurgery?Let"s say, compared to a Bachelor of Medical science?

[bobevenson]

Under your system we would have even more unqualified doctors entering the system.

Quite the opposite, my friend, free-market capitalism would improve medical care as it does everything else in this world.

Lets, put it this way. As there is a price for everything medical. What would you be willing to pay for a Bachelor of Neurosurgery?Let"s say, compared to a Bachelor of Medical science?

Let's put it this way, the great economist Milton Friedman was against doctors even being licensed (http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2009/09/mil ... nsure.html).

[Ginkgo]

Let's put it this way, the great economist Milton Friedman was against doctors even being licensed.

Sounds fair enough to me. Like I said. I'll have a Big Mac, fries and a hernia operation.