Part 9 of 19 in Why Schools are Broken: and How to Fix Them← Part 8Part 10 →
This chapter examines how unnecessary degree requirements can keep young people in school longer without giving them useful skills. It helps employers, governments, and parents consider skill-based alternatives to formal credentials.
- Unnecessary degree requirements force young people to stay in school longer than needed.
- India faces severe credential inflation in government and private-sector jobs.
- Many colleges teach little, leaving graduates unemployed and employers unable to find practical skills.
- Employers can test actual tasks, while governments remove unnecessary qualifications from recruitment rules.
- Parents can value demonstrated competence and support flexible combinations of work and study.
Goodman argued that society should reduce the number of jobs that require formal credentials. When a degree becomes a requirement for work that does not actually need the knowledge the degree supposedly represents, young people are forced to stay in school longer than necessary. India suffers from severe credential inflation.
Many government jobs and private-sector positions demand a graduate degree even when the actual work requires only secondary-level literacy and on-the-job training. This forces millions of young people into colleges that teach little, simply to obtain the paper. The result is unemployed graduates and frustrated employers who still cannot find people with practical skills.
What Can Be Done
Employers, especially in the private sector, can shift to skill-based hiring. They can test candidates on actual tasks rather than on degrees. Governments can review recruitment rules and remove unnecessary educational qualifications. Parents can stop treating a degree as the only respectable outcome and start valuing demonstrated competence.
When credentials matter less, young people gain the freedom to leave formal schooling earlier if they have better things to do, or to combine part-time study with work. This is precisely the flexibility Goodman wanted.
Frequently asked questions
What is credential inflation?
Credential inflation occurs when jobs require degrees even though the work needs only secondary-level literacy and on-the-job training.
How does credential inflation affect young people in India?
It forces millions into colleges that teach little, simply to obtain a degree, resulting in unemployed graduates and frustrated employers.
How can employers reduce unnecessary degree requirements?
Employers can use skill-based hiring and test candidates on actual tasks rather than relying on degrees.
What can governments and parents do about unnecessary credentials?
Governments can remove unnecessary educational qualifications from recruitment rules. Parents can value demonstrated competence instead of treating a degree as the only respectable outcome.