Bureaucracy vs. Results

Music Teacher Claims Pay Cut Result of Her Religious Objections

Does accreditation really deserve the weight it receives in educational circles? In my mind, it is nothing more than bureaucratic laziness. It appears to foster a mentality to ignore results and put the focus on how well the papers are shuffled.

Bob Jones University has purposefully refused to seek accreditation. Most regional accreditation agencies are not so much interested in whether students are getting an education than in making sure schools are adhering to the agencies' philosophies and cultural whims.

For a religious institution like BJU, that would be an unnecessary burden. Adherence to these philosophies and structures could destroy the religious nature of the institution.

Unfortunately, accreditation appears to continue to trump nearly 80 years of proven academic excellence. Never mind the graduates who go on to graduate schools such as Harvard, Yale, Duke and any other number of medical and law schools. Never mind the proven success of CEOs and executives in major national and international corporations. Never mind those graduates who are senators and congressmen on the state and national level - as well as public servants such as the current Undersecretary of the Office of Homeland Security. Never mind the graduates serving as officers and chaplains throughout the United States Armed Forces.

No, all that means nothing because "the state only reimburses the districts when credits are from an accredited institution." How typical… "We don't care whether you have a good education or not. We just want to make sure you have your papers in order."

The sad thing is the burden this places on graduates of BJU. It is hoped that the school will be able to find an accrediting agency that will base its "stamp of approval" on results and less intrusive monitoring of current educational and administrative practices. Then there will be one less obstruction for the thousands of young people who are helping make America a better place.