Under Educated Secretary of Education

Margaret Spellings has recently made a statement which proves that she is, as is usual for the Bush administration, unqualified for the job she holds (Secretary of Education). She asked, why do college tuition costs outstrip inflation?

The answer is simple economics. The inflation rate reflects both the cost of goods and services which are subject to productivity improvements and those that are not. The two offset each other in a way that keeps the rate of inflation lower than it would have been in the absence of productivity improvements. Educational delivery. although new methods have been developed, has proven resistant to productivity improvements. When schools use large lecture hall classes taught by senior faculty, aided by recitation sections taught by graduate students, parents and students complain. When courses are taught via TV or the internet there are also complaints.

All of this leads to costs that outstrip the rate of inflation. The same holds true in the public schools where parents want smaller class sizes, more counselors and increased extra curricular activities.

If MS. Spellings does not understand these simple facts of Educational Economics, perhaps, she should give up administration and become a teacher of something that does not require economic understanding.

Hypothesis vs. Theory

Once again, we are faced with people trying to foist an Hypothesis upon us claiming that it is a Theory. An hypothesis is an unsupported statement of what you believe to be an explanation of a phenomenon. It does not yet have supporting evidence in favor of it. After significant research and evidence an hypothesis can become a theory. In order to reach this stage there has to be significant evidence that the original hypothesis can explain and often predict. In the absence of this proponderence of evidence an hypothesis never becomes an accepted scientific theory. The fact that a theory does not appear to explain every phenomenon does not invalidate it.

It is clear that Intelligent Design does not have the body of evidence to honor it with the title Theory. It is an hypothesis. Evolution, on the other hand, has developed a strong body of evidence which supports its basic tenant. It is, therefore, an accepted scientific theory.

If we were to give credence to every unproven hypothesis we would still believe in the sunspot theory of economic cycles and, like Lysenko, that acquired traits can be passed down through the generations.

We should ask ourselves if we would want our scientists trained in a country that rejects scientific evidence in favor of “Intelligent Design.” Let us put ID where it belongs: In the philosophical and religeous realm. Let us keep it out of science.