In 1980 People with college degrees made on average 30 per cent more than those with only high school diplomas. Today that disparity has widened to 70 per cent. in the case of higher degrees there is a gap of 100 per cent between those with advanced degrees and those with only high school diplomas. *

Epicureans should welcome greater effort and spending on education that increases the earning power of the middle classes and helps protect them from the cold winds of globalization. It contributes to atarxia.  But how do you fund it? Certainly not privately – there are not enough good, trained teachers to go round. We pay them too little (as in, why should I pay taxes to educate other people’s children...yack….yack) . 

* Figures quoted by George Will, Washington Post October 3rd.