Review: The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money

The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money by Bryan Caplan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This should probably be required reading not only for lawmakers, but for all voters (since lawmakers won't make uncomfortable changes without having voters on board).
It deals with Signaling in education, and the Sheepskin effect.
I'm not sure about the makeshift dialog of the final chapter. It's in a Socratic style (which tends to annoy me), although it's probably useful if some of the main points didn't stick the first time around.

Some of my notes:
Signaling exists, but not the only factor (Around 80% signaling, 20% not)
High school is almost always worth it.
College worth it if you're a decent student
Masters is almost never worth it.

Implications: If not signaling, if everyone gets a degree it's better. More education for everyone.
If signaling, if everyone gets a degree it's worse. Everyone is at the same level, so like no one got education.
Signaling is zero sum (it doesn't increase the pie). So, society doesn't benefit from more education if education is signaling.
Most education spending is useless, so--> make it harder to attend schools? Not for skills they will actually use in life (bad readers are better than illiterate people). For other subjects, Yes. Only the best should study Arts, Music, etc.
Signaling: If we subsidize diamond rings for marriage, the rich will find something else to show wealth. Diamond rings will be deemed worthless.
We are against child labor unless A) It is unpaid (internships must not be to company's benefit) or B) It is school (so, no real use for the future if 80% signaling)
If people were interested in cultural issues, they would find everything they need on the internet--> humanities is shoving cultural topics down the throats of the unwilling.
Most professors (around 51% for universities) are liberal, but most students tend to become more conservative the more they are educated.
More education raises levels of civic awareness and lowers racism and sexism. More education raises support for capitalism, free markets, and globalization.
More education makes individuals less religious, but makes society more religious.

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