The Role of IQ in Education and the Future
Wednesday February 28, 2007
Half of All Children Are Below Average in Intelligence. Too Many People Are Going to College. America's Future Depends on the Intellectually Gifted. These rather provocative statements are what Charles Murray, in his article Education, Intelligence, and America's Future says are "three simple truths" about the role intelligence should play in education and the future.
How true are these claims? The first one seems insensitive. Isn't it mean to say half of all children have a below-average intelligence? Not really. "Average" refers to a midpoint. So, if we look at a bell curve representing IQs, we would see that the midpoint is an IQ of 100. About one half of all children are above that point and about one half of all children are below that point. That is what testing tells us.
What about college? We tell our children over and over that going to college is the best road to success. Murray, however, says that college-level work is simply too difficult for those with IQs of less than 115. For example, a student who struggles with algebra would have a hard time understanding quantum physics. Murray believes that many students would have a better chance of earning a good living by going to a trade school, but no one wants to say so because trade schools are considered less prestigeous than colleges.
Murray goes on to say people in the top ten percent of intelligence are those in medicine, engineering, law, the sciences, academia, and the top levels of the corporate world and government. They are also the inventors of advanced technology. This means that these people have a major effect on our economy, culture, and institutions. It is important to our future, therefore, to provide an appropriate education for that top ten percent -- the gifted.
So what do you think? Read Murray's article and the click the comment link below and express your view.
How true are these claims? The first one seems insensitive. Isn't it mean to say half of all children have a below-average intelligence? Not really. "Average" refers to a midpoint. So, if we look at a bell curve representing IQs, we would see that the midpoint is an IQ of 100. About one half of all children are above that point and about one half of all children are below that point. That is what testing tells us.
What about college? We tell our children over and over that going to college is the best road to success. Murray, however, says that college-level work is simply too difficult for those with IQs of less than 115. For example, a student who struggles with algebra would have a hard time understanding quantum physics. Murray believes that many students would have a better chance of earning a good living by going to a trade school, but no one wants to say so because trade schools are considered less prestigeous than colleges.
Murray goes on to say people in the top ten percent of intelligence are those in medicine, engineering, law, the sciences, academia, and the top levels of the corporate world and government. They are also the inventors of advanced technology. This means that these people have a major effect on our economy, culture, and institutions. It is important to our future, therefore, to provide an appropriate education for that top ten percent -- the gifted.
So what do you think? Read Murray's article and the click the comment link below and express your view.
Comments
At last a sensible comment on education policy. The same problem in the UK. A government that wishes to send the majority of the population to a university system suited to the top 15%. A ploy to hide youth unemployment? A government that castigates schools for ‘failing our children’ and one where an education minister once actually said he wanted to see more of our children above average.
I agree I know lots of people with colledge educations, and their as dumb as nails ! In other words you are either born with intelligence or your not, it is not something you can learn!! Oh sure you can memorize for tests, and get a high grade, but a person on the edge of a high IQ is more than likely going to forget what they just accomplished in minutes,not day’s !! I find that people who have common sense, are usually the smartest amongst us…..
I disagree with the statement that only people with an IQ above 115 can do well in college. Put simply, emphasizing ability is a one way street, whereas an emphasis on hard work creates numerous facets that go beyond a street metaphor.In my experience, people that try their best often surpass the intellectually “gifted”.I am an electrical engineering major that supposedly has a nonverbal learning disability (encompasses math) and an “average” IQ. However, despite this, I frequently put my college teachers to shame with my “ability” in their subject (math included,and they admit it). I understand the reasoning from my (rather abnormal) situation is precarious at best, just remember that psychology is at best half rhetoric, 40 percent THEORETICAL science, and 10 percent experimental science (certainly not very scientific of it, ha).By the way, I have studied psychology extensively.