HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: What students know that experts don’t: School is all about signaling, not skill-building. “The main reason firms reward education is because it certifies (or “signals”) brains, work ethic and conformity. It’s therefore sensible, if unseemly, for students to focus more on going through the motions than acquiring knowledge. Almost everyone pays lip service to the glories of education, but actions speak louder than words.”