Parents' Attitudes Toward Higher Ed May Present Barrier to TBED

Sometimes when people are surrounded by others who share backgrounds, beliefs or opinions, they assume everyone thinks that way -- or should. It is one of the negative side effects or symptoms of the phenomenon known as "group think."

It could be easy, for example, for Digest readers deeply immersed in building tech-based economies - surrounded by college-educated researchers, scientists, MBAs, lawyers and engineers - to believe that obtaining a degree after high school is a fundamental key to future economic prosperity. Studies support the idea that the higher level of education attained, the higher one's income will be. We assume the only hurdles are affordability or access and set goals then to double the number of college graduates.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced during her 2005 State-of-the-State Address a plan to create better-paying jobs as the state recovers from a loss of manufacturing jobs and an overall net job loss in 2004. The plan includes raising the state's Merit Award scholarships from $2,500 to $4,000 for students who complete two years of postsecondary education or apprenticeship training (see the Feb. 21 issue of the Digest).

Most readers will be aware of similar efforts in nearly every state across the country. We are in a knowledge-based economy competing with other countries that are rapidly increasing the skills, education and innovation competencies of their citizens, right?

Surely, every American parent wants their child to pursue a two- or four-year education after high school graduation, right?

Wrong. A recent survey of Michigan parents presents eye-opening findings if your worldview has become so insular that it comes with an electronic roledex in which everyone's name is followed by B.A., M.A., MBA, M.D., J.D., Ph.D., etc.

Acting on the recommendations of Lt. Gov. John Cherry's Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, Gov. Granholm's proposal to double the number of college graduates may face some hurdles, according to an article in the Detroit News. The article quotes Ed Sarplous, who conducted the survey, as saying any measure the state proposes will not make an impact unless residents change the way they think about higher education.

Preliminary results of the survey indicate only about half of the parents polled believe everyone should obtain a college degree and only about one-fourth say a good education is essential to getting ahead in life. However, evidence that people holding college degrees make more money and are less likely to be unemployed is abundant. U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics indicate that people with a bachelor's degree earned a mean salary of $916 per week and had an unemployment rate of 2.7 percent in 2004. In contrast, high school graduates earned a mean salary of $574 per week and had a 5 percent unemployment rate.

The survey, conducted for a group of education organizations in the state, involved telephone interviews with 1,544 parents and guardians across the state. The questionnaire covered issues such as parents' general attitudes toward education, schools and the relationship between education and the standard of living; aspirations for their children; contributions to their children's education; and core academic subjects.

Minority and ethnic groups, including Arab Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and African Americans, are more likely to value education than the majority White population. For example, almost nine out of 10 Arab Americans agree that everyone should have a college education, compared to the base sample, which is just slightly over half. Minority groups also are more likely to trust the judgment of school teachers and professors and believe that people with a college degree are better off. However, the survey also reveals that this group is less likely than the majority population to have done something specific to afford college for their children.

The Michigan Parents Culture of Education Survey is available at: http://www.mea.org/design.cfm?p=5503