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U.S. education has been dominated by a vocational/STEM paradigm that sidelines civic education.

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Education should prioritize STEM & job-skills to boost growth and reduce inequality

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Reducing education to an economic fix is incomplete; schools must also build civic agency.

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Goldin & Katz: Skills as the Cure for Inequality

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Goldin & Katz: Skills as the Cure for Inequality

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Technological changes often reward highly skilled workers, thereby widening the income gap between the educated and the uneducated in society.

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A report from 1983 proposed that the education system in the United States is facing the threat of "national security and economic competition". The report warns that the decline in the quality of education will lead to economic recession and the loss of global competitiveness. Thus, they required the improvement of education in tech and science

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Cultivating Civic capacity is also important

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Cultivating Civic capacity is also important

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Allen pointed out that excessive focus on vocational training and economic competition has made people forget that education also cultivates civic responsibility.

She believes that civic education does not conflict with vocational education, but it has long been neglected.

Without it, students fail to understand the complexity of social participation.

Allen therefore calls for balancing economic and civic goals in education.

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"Career orientation" exacerbates social inequality 

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"Career orientation" exacerbates social inequality 

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Many economists argue that vocational education helps bridge the income gap by improving workers’ skills and employment rates

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Allen proposed that if education could focus importance on civic cooperation and the art of living together, it would become a deeper driving force for social equality.

She contends that a democratic society requires not only skilled workers but also citizens who know how to collaborate and possess public judgment.

This equality is based on shared values and relationships, not just economics.

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In modern policy discourse, education is often viewed as a tool for economic growth and national competitiveness.
Expanding access to education is believed to reduce inequality by spreading knowledge and improving job skills.

This perspective values education primarily for its contribution to economic outcomes rather than civic or moral development.

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Allen argues that this economic focus narrows the true purpose of education.
She believes schools should also cultivate civic responsibility, cooperation, and public judgment.
By integrating civic values with practical learning, education can empower individuals to participate more fully in democratic life.
For Allen, true equality depends not only on economic opportunity but also on civic engagement and shared moral understanding.

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Allen countered that this logic is too simplistic. She said that true inequality is not only reflected in income, but also in political voice and social identity.

If the purpose of education is set to improve skills and increase employment, it will lead to a lack of cultural resources for some low-income groups. In this way, education will have a negative impact instead and will not promote fairness

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To fix this, they advocate expanding vocational and technical education.

This approach is seen as key to repairing society’s economic structure.

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Piketty: The Rate of Return and Inequality

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Piketty: The Rate of Return and Inequality

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In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Piketty argues that the rate of return on capital is usually higher than the rate of economic growth.
This imbalance means that wealth accumulates faster for those who already own capital, while workers’ wages grow more slowly.

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Despite this structural problem, Piketty believes that education remains a key mechanism for promoting equality.

He argues that expanding access to education can spread knowledge and skills across social classes, helping more people participate in economic competition.