Robert J. Samuelson, citing Charlotte’s Central Piedmont Community College as one example, explores this question in his Washington Post column today: “With about 12 million students, the nation’s 1,200 community colleges help answer this riddle: Why do Americans do so badly on international educational comparisons and yet support an advanced economy?”

His answer, in a nutshell, is that the free market pushes the workforce where it’s needed.

The American learning system has, I think, two big virtues.

First, it provides second chances. It tries to teach people when they’re motivated to learn — which isn’t always when they’re in high school or starting college. People become motivated later for many reasons, including maturity, marriage, mortgages and crummy jobs. These people aren’t shut out. They can mix work, school and training….

Second, it’s job-oriented. Community colleges provide training for local firms and offer courses to satisfy market needs.

Lots more common sense therein.