Bear-ly educated


June 12, 2008 · Updated 4:19 PM 

  • 0
  • Print Story
  • Letter/Editor

Central Washington University Professor Mathew Manweller raises a provcative point in the guest opinion published elsewhere on this page. Referring to a study of 14,000 college students across the nation, he notes that the average student graduates these days knowing only marginally more about U.S. history, government and economics than he or she knew as a freshman.

At some schools, in fact, students actually come away knowing less. The worst of the lot, he points out, is the University of California-Berkeley, where students graduated an appalling 7.3 percent less educated on these important subjects than they were when they arrived on campus.

Why is this important for Kitsap County specifically? No reason, really, except that with the appointment this month of Stephen Bauer to go along with Josh Brown, two of Kitsap’s three county commissioners are now UC-Berkeley grads.

Just thought you’d want to know.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.

blog comments powered by Disqus