A modern society does need educated people: not just engineers, chemists, and doctors, but millions of people who can write coherent letters, fill in complicated forms, explain insurance policies, and interpret statistical data from machines on factory floors. Some of these skills can be learned only in universities; others can (and should) be mastered in primary and secondary schools.
我们常说教育对经济的发展非常重要，这种说法有一定道理，因为在某种程度上，教育显然是经济发展不可缺少的命脉。现代社会的确需要受过教育的人才：不仅包括工程师、化学家和医生，还包括成百上千万能写出连贯文章、填写复杂表格、解释保险政策和看懂车间设备数据的普通劳动者。要掌握某些技能只能去上大学，而其余的则能够（也应该）通过初等和中等教育来获得。