Why we need to stop wasting public funds on education

Despite being immensely popular--and immensely lucrative--education is grossly overrated. In this explosive book, Bryan Caplan argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skill but to certify their intelligence, work ethic, and conformity--in other words, to signal the qualities of a good employee. Learn why students hunt for easy As and casually forget most of what they learn after the final exam, why decades of growing access to education have not resulted in better jobs for the average worker but instead in runaway credential inflation, how employers reward workers for costly schooling they rarely if ever use, and why cutting education spending is the best remedy.

Caplan draws on the latest social science to show how the labor market values grades over knowledge, and why the more education your rivals have, the more you need to impress employers. He explains why graduation is our society's top conformity signal, and why even the most useless degrees can certify employability. He advocates two major policy responses. The first is educational austerity. Government needs to sharply cut education funding to curb this wasteful rat race. The second is more vocational education, because practical skills are more socially valuable than teaching students how to outshine their peers.

Romantic notions about education being good for the soul must yield to careful research and common sense--The Case against Education points the way.

Ten front-line Children's Ministry experts peeked out over the horizon to identify ten trends shaping ministry in the next ten years.
See inside to discover...
How current culture is rewiring kids' brains--and secrets for connecting with children
The latest education trends embraced by schools--and how they'll impact your Sunday school
Morphing Children's Ministry into Family Ministry--and how that supersizes your impact
What kinds of children are about to land in your ministry--and how to be ready for them
Plus six more must-know insights--and practical activities that help you take advantage of shifting trends in your Children's Ministry.

Be prepared.
It's good advice for scouts...and even better advice for you.