Harvard Guide to Happiness, Freakonomics, Can’t a Woman Be Einstein Essay

The methods suggested from a research conducted over 10 years on 1,600 Harvard students are relevant today more than ever. The global trend of shift in workforce from manufacturing to white collar work necessitates workers obtain higher degrees of education. Individuals with higher education degree are more equipped with the capacity to better manage given tasks of the service sector employing analytical thinking. Workforce comprised of such highly educated individuals enhances competitiveness in the increasingly complex global economy. Thus the value of individual academic pursuit is critical in sustaining economic development of a nation. Assuming that students furthering their studies decide based on freewill, keeping students motivated is the key to encouraging them to pursue higher education. Basing on the results from the study, increasing interaction among the various elements within the school system such as faculty and peer-students propel students to achieve higher grades, become more intellectually engaged and increase their overall happiness. An NBER study of a group of Kenyan girls in 69 primary schools comparing those who were randomly selected to receive scholarships to those who did not receive any surprisingly concluded that greater education does not in fact lead to greater democracy. However I believe the relationship between education and democracy can either be strengthened or weakened based on the content of the education received by the citizens and how it is famed in the classroom setting. Education systems that emphasize and value freedom of expression through heated discussion among peers inevitably provide an opportunity for the students to experience democratic way of handling things. The way information was given to the young girls in Kenya and its substance may have been the reason in the failure of increased education to result in greater democracy. The essay that demonstrated that biological difference exists between male and female but does not suggest a difference in aptitude pose an important issue in the field of education. I agree that the results hint a change in the education system but I hesitate to agree with Leonard Sax in his belief that â€Å"coed schools do more harm than good†. The fact that current coed schools might not provide an environment for boys and girls to learn at the pace of their maturing brains does not necessitate those students to be educated in single-sex schools. The problem, if there is any, would lie in the lack of division of classes based on the level of each subject. Division of class in coed schools based on proficiency, for instance beginners, intermediate and advanced seems an appropriate response that effectively deals with the problem embraces outliers at the same time.