[NLA] NLA: NALS

[Eileen Eckert]

There's an interesting article in the Sept. 27, 2002 issue of the Chronicle 
of Higher Education (the Review section) about credential inflation. The 
author argues that most skills are learned on the job, and the "requirement" 
for a college education has replaced straightforward class conflict. I'd add 
that credential inflation can be seen as a replacement for outright racial 
discrimination as a way of maintaining the economic disparities that have 
always existed (given the racial disparities in access to and completion of 
college education). Instead of saying to an applicant, "We only hire white 
people" an employer can say, "We only hire college graduates." The effect is 
not <quite> the same, but almost.

John Comings posed the question of whether a 2-year degree (or its 
equivalent) is necessary to get and keep a living wage job now.

Another way to look at it is whether the dominance of the "education as 
technical training" viewpoint has obscured issues of class interests and 
power relationships, allowed employers to require degrees that are not 
really necessary, and justified reducing the real wages and benefits of 
workers at the lower end of the degree and skill continuum. It does this 
through the myths that degree = skill, that skills are discrete 
"competencies," and that formal education is the best (or only) way to 
develop the knowledge and skills needed for work. Meanwhile the kinds of 
critical thinking skills that have been the purpose of a liberal arts 
education are seen as irrelevant, and the gains made by organized labor are 
eroded in the name of economic progress.






>From: John Comings <comingjo at gse.harvard.edu>
>Reply-To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>Subject: [NLA] NLA: NALS
>Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2002 16:07:55 -0500
>
>Tom,
>
>Isn't the mean NALS score for high school graduates at the cutoff point 
>between NALS Level 2 and 3, and the mean score for GED holders just a few 
>points below that level?
>
>Given the present US job market, do you see people at that level doing well 
>(that is getting and holding jobs that pay a wage above the poverty line 
>and with basic benefits) or do you think they need to move up to the mean 
>skill level of adults who hold a two-year college degree or its equivlalent 
>in skilled-job training before they will be able to compete for those jobs?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>John Comings, Director
>NCSALL -- Nichols House
>Harvard Graduate School of Education   (617) 496-0516, voice
>7 Appian Way                           (617) 335-9839, cell
>Cambridge MA 02138                     (617) 495-4811, fax
>john_comings at harvard.edu
>http://ncsall.gse.harvard.edu
>
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