https://press.princeton.edu/titles/11225.html argues that we have way too much education. That matches my experience. It's a giant problem that too many people are ignorant, but I don't agree that more school is the answer.
I think the authors misses the target as his arguments seem to be mostly against the current educational system as it stands, not against an educated workforce.
I'd say let's talk about giving that system more of our lives, rather than less, when they show they can use what they're getting a lot more effectively.
You can't half-ass something and just your lack of interest in its perceived "inefectiveness".
You just need to look at the upside enjoyed by other countries which have seriously invested in education. The easiest example is South Korea. I'm not saying it's perfect, but they went from the Korean War to Samsung and LG in half a century.
The book we're talking about discusses this. I went to the trouble of summarizing the claims, including one that addresses your point, in another comment. I don't think "half-ass" is a reasonable response to me here.
This notion of an educated workforce seems very ambiguous and abstract. How about a concrete example -- what education is the guy driving a cement truck lacking?
