Charles Murray’s, important new book, Real Education, challenges a number of contemporary education’s sacred cows. He implores the establishment to confront the real factors that prevent our current education system from productively serving our children. For Murray, four simple truths are widely resisted, and are most responsible for the system’s shortcomings: a failure to recognize that students’ abilities vary; a refusal to acknowledge that half of all children are below average; an insistence that college is appropriate for the majority of children; and neglecting to adequately educate our truly gifted children. Murray argues that until these four factors are honestly addressed our education system will continue to fall short and severely compromise the future of our country. The solutions are not going to come from government, he contends, but from existing technological and economic forces that will produce dramatic improvements if the government and educational establishment stop pushing our schools in the wrong directions. Murray’s manifesto is certain to provide a provocative discussion agenda.

212-599-7000

communications@manhattan-institute.org