Higher Education and Society Attending public schools as a child, I remember learning basic skills such as adding and subtracting, reading, and writing. These basic skills are necessary to function in our society and workforce in the United States. As we all know, every child learns differently, some learn faster than others and some learn slower than others. Our public schools have become overcrowded and we do not have enough teachers to meet the needs of every student. Some students fall behind and don't learn the skills needed to move to the next level. What these students are not learning, they can learn in higher education such as a college or university. In this report I would like to express the importance of higher education. I will use the works of John Henry Newman, Jon Spayde, and Mike Rose, all three writers believe in having an educated society. The needs of our students are changing, there are a growing number of immigrants with children coming to the United States from all over the world. They bring with them the language and culture of their country. The age at which they arrive in the United States determines how well they will learn English and what skills they will need to acquire to become productive in our society. The task of teaching our children basic skills becomes more difficult every day, making it increasingly difficult for our education system to achieve its goals. There are a large number of students graduating from high school who do not possess the skills necessary to meet the needs of the workforce in our society. To make our society literate, a higher level of learning is necessary. The relationship between colleges and universities is influential in our society. Having an educated society in the United States means living in a safe and peaceful environment. Society is defined as "a group of people with a common culture or way of life. A group of people who come together to share a common interest." (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 678). An educated society also avoids social problems such as poverty, criminal gangs, drugs and health-related diseases. Above all, having an educated society helps our country's economy. For example, a citizen who earns a college degree earns respect and can get a good, well-paid job.