WaPo: White House to propose merging Labor and Education into one agency

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Education is basically a really protracted apprenticeship for people under 18.

NO IT'S NOT

Considering education's purpose to be preparing for work is the hallmark of neoliberal dogma.

Well it should be a primary purpose of public education. (The other of course is preparing children to be good citizens when they grow up, something Trump's teachers either never tried to do or failed miserably when it came to him.)

Now sometimes the best way to accomplish those goals is indirectly, which is why the arts should be a part of public education for all students. However, that doesn't mean we should be subsidizing the education of art history majors.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Education is basically a really protracted apprenticeship for people under 18.

NO IT'S NOT

Considering education's purpose to be preparing for work is the hallmark of neoliberal dogma.

Well it should be a primary purpose of public education. (The other of course is preparing children to be good citizens when they grow up, something Trump's teachers either never tried to do or failed miserably when it came to him.)

Now sometimes the best way to accomplish those goals is indirectly, which is why the arts should be a part of public education for all students. However, that doesn't mean we should be subsidizing the education of art history majors.

The primary purpose of education is to foster children's cultural, intellectual and moral flourishing and give them the tools they need to become well-rounded individuals as adults capable of making conscientious choices for themselves and the collectivity. Job training is not and should never be the goal. To claim otherwise is to pave the way for Brave New World.

Spoken like a true Alpha minus.

There are many laudable things that it isn't the government's responsibility to pay for because of the simple reason that it can't pay for every laudable thing. The sort of broad education you advocate is very laudable but it is not and never has been something schools could accomplish all by themselves. It takes much more than a school to raise well-rounded young citizens.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

But education is more than training people to fit into entry jobs in organizations in which they have no real chance of advancement due to low glass ceilings . At best it is also teaching people how to seek and find meaning and purpose in life. Unless everyone is to start a business or pay is to be so low that people must work multiple jobs that ensure that they have no leisure, people will need to discover how to use their spare time.

And only schools can help people find meaning and purpose? People have to be taught how to correctly enjoy leisure? Please tell me that I am misinterpreting what seems to be elitist claptrap of the worst sort from you.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

soooo...are there any good reasons to keep the Department of Education?

Here’s one, it helps a lot with student loans and given the complete incompetence of the Trump administration in handling this, it is likely that such a massive bureaucratic change would lead to some students not getting their loans in time for the coming school year.  Additionally, the department helps ensure schools are complying with education-related civil rights laws and that schools which refuse to comply with federal laws and regulations aren’t mistakenly receiving taxpayer dollars.  Those are just some things that came to mind right away, there are probably many others.

Whether or not the programs are kept is separate from whether Education is a Department or a Bureau or an Office.  I wouldn't mind seeing it and HHS merged back into HEW, tho given how the Repiblicans have made looking after the welfare of people a dirty word, it probably needs a new name such as HESS (Health, Education, and Social Services). Maybe even merge in HUD as well.  I'd also like to see Department of Economic Affairs that merged Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Labor, and Transportation.  The Cabinet is too large these days.  I think the ideal size would be at most six so  that the President would be able to focus on each top-level department one day each week.