ranking the system

School rankings tell the public what schools offer the "best": programs, teaching staff, scholars, researchers and so on. 

Courtesy of Clker.com 

I find it amusing that we (society) depend upon these rankings to tell us that we are getting a good education. But just because a ranking tells us that the education we are receiving is good, does not necessarily mean it is good. After all, education is a commodity and rankings are simply another way to convince consumers to buy a specified consumer product. 

Education is a unique process; one where the learner plays a critical role in what is learned and how (if at all) they engage in the learning. Therefore, I would argue that rankings in no way translate into learners receiving the best education. Rather a student may be delivered what is ranked the best education, but this education may not be what is best for the learner.