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Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America's Schools Back to Reality Hardcover – August 19, 2008

by Charles Murray (Author)

94 customer reviews

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With four simple truths as his framework, Charles Murray, the bestselling coauthor of The Bell Curve, sweeps away the hypocrisy, wishful thinking, and upside-down priorities that grip America’s educational establishment.

Ability varies. Children differ in their ability to learn academic material. Doing our best for every child requires, above all else, that we embrace that simplest of truths. America’s educational system does its best to ignore it.

Half of the children are below average. Many children cannot learn more than rudimentary reading and math. Real Education reviews what we know about the limits of what schools can do and the results of four decades of policies that require schools to divert huge resources to unattainable goals.

Too many people are going to college. Almost everyone should get training beyond high school, but the number of students who want, need, or can profit from four years of residential education at the college level is a fraction of the number of young people who are struggling to get a degree. We have set up a standard known as the BA, stripped it of its traditional content, and made it an artificial job qualification. Then we stigmatize everyone who doesn’t get one. For most of America’s young people, today’s college system is a punishing anachronism.

America’s future depends on how we educate the academically gifted. An elite already runs the country, whether we like it or not. Since everything we watch, hear, and read is produced by that elite, and since every business and government department is run by that elite, it is time to start thinking about the kind of education needed by the young people who will run the country. The task is not to give them more advanced technical training, but to give them an education that will make them into wiser adults; not to pamper them, but to hold their feet to the fire.

The good news is that change is not only possible but already happening. Real Education describes the technological and economic trends that are creating options for parents who want the right education for their children, teachers who want to be free to teach again, and young people who want to find something they love doing and learn how to do it well. These are the people for whom Real Education was written. It is they, not the politicians or the educational establishment, who will bring American schools back to reality.

Twenty-four years ago, Charles Murray’s Losing Ground changed the way the nation thought about welfare. Real Education is about to do the same thing for America’s schools.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Murray, coauthor of The Bell Curve, believes our educational system's failures stem from the fundamental lie that every child can be anything he or she wants and that such educational romanticism prevents progress. Four simple truths, he asserts, would prove better: children have different abilities, half of the children are below average, too many children go to college, and America's future depends on the gifted. Murray takes care with his first point, discussing various types of abilities instead of the oft-maligned I.Q. measure; however, he does believe that test scores reflect ability. He argues that there are only a limited number of academically gifted people and these are America's future leaders, that only this elite can enjoy college productively and that the nongifted shouldn't be channeled by their high school counselors into training for that college chimera, which wouldn't make them happy anyway. Further, he argues, if the Educational Testing Service created certification tests covering what employers want applicants to know, these would become the gold standard for applicants, rather than college degrees. This book is likely to stir controversy even if it appears that Murray is dressing up an old elitist argument—test scores reflect ability, so high-scorers should be offered a challenging education, while the below-average should be herded into vocational training. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Murray (Losing Ground: American Social Policy, 1950–1980; coauthor, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life) proposes four "simple truths"—ability varies, half of all children are below average, too many people are going to college, and America's future depends on how we educate the gifted—for parents, educators, and policymakers to confront. The current focus of the educational system, Murray contends, of educating all children to the same level and holding them to the same standards (i.e., No Child Left Behind) ignores these four truths and attempts to prepare most children to earn a B.A., though many of them are not suited for college and would be happier and more productive in different careers. He suggests that bachelor's degrees should be reserved for students with the ability and interest in careers requiring it and instead there should be a series of national certifications to show what a job candidate can actually do. Murray's argument is controversial but well researched. His book is highly recommended for public and academic libraries.—Mark Bay, Cumberland Coll. Lib., Williamsburg, KY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product details

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Crown Forum; 1 edition (August 19, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307405389
ISBN-13: 978-0307405388
Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 94 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,095,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1962 in Books > Education & Teaching > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Reform & Policy
- #2075 in Books > Education & Teaching > Schools & Teaching > Education Theory > Philosophy & Social Aspects

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George Anast

Learn about learning

November 21, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is a fine book on an important subject. Murray's writing is conversational, clear, and at times humorous. If you are interested in what education is all about, this book will set you straight. It should be mandatory reading for all teachers and educational administrators. It exudes common sense and hence may be shunned by the educational establishment. Murray is a a very perceptive fellow.

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Michael T Kennedy

Some simple truths about education.

December 17, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I came across this book recently but its message is still timely. It is a fact that half the students in school today are below average. Of course, this is the definition of average. I would not say that half of them are below average IQ because there are thousands of children at the bottom of the scale who are not in school, or at least academic school, at all. Still, it is an important consideration that academic potential is determined in very early childhood, perhaps before birth. There is great resistance to accepting this for several reasons. One is the "educational romanticism" that Murray describes and which no doubts motivates many teachers. This is the theory that all children can succeed. They can succeed but at different levels of academic achievement. Murray uses the example of the teenager forced to choose between going to college and becoming an electrician. The choice should be obvious if he is skilled at the one and not the other. College degrees have a magical quality to many young people who believe that life will not be worthwhile without the academic symbol.

I have a nephew who has a BA and has just completed an apprenticeship in a technical trade. Will the degree help him in his trade ? Probably not. Was it worthwhile ? Only time will tell. Murray makes the point that children are pretty much preselected for verbal and mathematical ability very early in life. Their accomplishments in math beyond arithmetic and reading dense prose may never respond to the best teaching available. He suggests that competitive programs like No Child Left Behind are examples of educational romanticism. They will have minimal effect with children in average schools. This should be reassuring to teachers yet I suspect that many will rebel at the conclusion.

He has many suggestions for curriculum which is being distorted by one of the many fads that sweep through education from time to time. The "progressive education" fad is dominant right now. With colleges, he suggests that far too many young people are going to college now and that most college curricula are doing them little good, even the most academically talented of them.

I agree with almost everything he says but I do notice that there is no mention of race. I understand why and I know why it would make his argument less palatable to many but it is still the elephant in the room.

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Katie R.

Insight without solutions

July 3, 2012

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It's slightly alarming to agree with Murray, but there it is.

Real Education outlines why our educational system doesn't work and how we can fix it. However, it's not your usual "schools are underfunded" or "teachers are not trained well" or "teachers' unions prevent real change" (the list could go on).

Murray says what has become far too taboo in our culture: not every child should go to college, not every child can do well academically, and, most horrifying to our national narrative of education, about half of children are below average in academic intelligence.

WHAT!?

I say, "YES!" I've thought this for a long time--since President Clinton said, "Everyone should go to college" without any caveats as to what kind or with what kind of goals.

Murray argues for the value of different kinds of intelligence (spatial, physical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical) aside from academic (logical and linguistic). He rightly asserts that pushing children who are "below average" in academic intelligence to read and do math at "grade level" actually does them a disservice. All children should be given the opportunity to learn in academic areas, but they should also be given educational opportunities in other areas where they may excel--with the hope that they can harness those talents and skills for their career, rather than going to college to struggle through a liberal arts degree that doesn't mean that much for them.

He makes a number of valuable points:

--The BA (he uses this as shorthand for all Bachelor's degrees) should not be prerequisite for the majority of jobs as it currently is;
--The quality of our schools should not be measured by all students performing at "grade level"; instead there needs to be a better understanding of what "average" means and what that means for test scores;
--Schools should work to help all children find areas in which they do well, including assessing students for different types of intelligence;
--All students should have the opportunity to learn in a safe environment with good teachers, but aside from the most troubled urban schools the differences between schools are not as huge as we think (I would include the most troubled rural schools with the urban);
--The aims of a "liberal education" that we receive in college should be given in K-12, particularly in grades K-8, so that all individuals are exposed to other cultures and ideas;
--Certification tests should be used as entrance to a variety of careers.

I find his assertions about the role of the academically gifted in society compelling, but I can't overcome the sense that it's a veiled kind of elitism. I imagine this is ultimate the difference in rhetoric that arises between a libertarian and a liberal-progressive.

My main problem with the book, however, is how Murray suggests we achieve this kind of system. He asserts that the change can come by making the research on the subject public, expand choice (vouchers, charter schools, home schooling), rely on the decisions of parents, rely on the recognition of the problem by educators....

Basically, leave government out of it. Obviously this comes down to, again, libertarian vs. liberal-progressive. But Murray has so many AMAZING goals in this book, ideas that made me think, "OOOOH! Let's make that happen!" But he's talking about massive societal change. If he thinks that's going to come by some parents and educators changing how they do things, he's dreaming. It's going to come from those parents and educators advocating for larger change and policy that will bring it. Maybe it will happen locally or regionally, especially at first, but it will ultimately have to be policy from the government.

Real Education is an excellent read and provides really revolutionary ideas for education reform. I highly recommend it.

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REAL INTERESTING

January 30, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I'm a college professor and I commend Mr. Murray on his insightful analysis, and I applaud his lucid assessment of the problems that plague our schools on all levels. What I was particularly impressed with was the candor and courage he used in presenting his case for academically challenged students to attend trade schools instead of conventional colleges. It's not a popular notion, but it makes sense financially and intellectually. As he states, the value of a BA is overrated. It's the responsibility of educators to shed light on ALL prudent and viable educational options available to students in their career pursuits. Perhaps after reading this book they will be more inclined.

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