Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America's Schools Back to Reality is a 2008 book by Charles Murray.

"[4] Times critic Charles McGrath defends the current educational system: And yet for all its sloppiness, the present arrangement seems preferable to what Mr. Murray proposes: a vast system of certification exams whereby instead of going to college and sitting through courses in the history of rock 'n' roll or the comic book, you bone up on your chosen profession—law, accounting, social work, whatever—and pass a test.

This would surely give rise to a cram-school industry that would dwarf even the current SAT-prep business and that, like the SAT, would unfairly reward the well off and those savvy enough to game the system.

[5] President of St. John's College, Annapolis, Christopher B. Nelson, in what he called his "version of educational romanticism," agreed with some of Murray's premises but challenged his conclusions: Of course ability varies and half the children are below average.

But neither should we abandon our efforts to provide each of our citizens with an opportunity to have the education that is required to keep us all watchful, wakeful protectors of our personal and political freedoms.