Comments on: What is the purpose of primary education? http://raven.phoenyx.net/mutterings/2008/11/what-is-the-purpose-of-primary-education/ Wherein Carl Cravens talks about geeky stuff Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:56:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Carl http://raven.phoenyx.net/mutterings/2008/11/what-is-the-purpose-of-primary-education/comment-page-1/#comment-181 Carl Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:20:18 +0000 http://raven.phoenyx.net/mutterings/2008/11/what-is-the-purpose-of-primary-education/#comment-181 <p>I don't think that's the situation in Kansas, but I can see where it could easily be a problem in a town that needs lots of unskilled labor. As an aircraft town, we actually need lots of _skilled_ labor... welders, mechanics, machinists and the like.</p> <p>I have been concerned about my son's education, though... school doesn't seem geared toward teaching him to think for himself. _Especially_ with ADHD, it seems geared toward making him fit in a box. I'm afraid that primary school isn't about teaching kids to think, and now that we've got No Child Left Behind, it seems geared toward teaching them to pass a test. I think 3rd grade (the first testing grade) they learn more about _how_ to take a test than anything else.</p> <p>The gifted program is better, but it's only for a special few. I'm lucky my son is there, but I feel sorry for the kids that don't get personal education plans and lots of personal attention from a experienced instructor.</p> <p>Teaching kids to really think takes time and more personal attention. The schools don't have the resources to do that even if they want to.</p> I don’t think that’s the situation in Kansas, but I can see where it could easily be a problem in a town that needs lots of unskilled labor. As an aircraft town, we actually need lots of _skilled_ labor… welders, mechanics, machinists and the like.

I have been concerned about my son’s education, though… school doesn’t seem geared toward teaching him to think for himself. _Especially_ with ADHD, it seems geared toward making him fit in a box. I’m afraid that primary school isn’t about teaching kids to think, and now that we’ve got No Child Left Behind, it seems geared toward teaching them to pass a test. I think 3rd grade (the first testing grade) they learn more about _how_ to take a test than anything else.

The gifted program is better, but it’s only for a special few. I’m lucky my son is there, but I feel sorry for the kids that don’t get personal education plans and lots of personal attention from a experienced instructor.

Teaching kids to really think takes time and more personal attention. The schools don’t have the resources to do that even if they want to.

]]> By: caulay http://raven.phoenyx.net/mutterings/2008/11/what-is-the-purpose-of-primary-education/comment-page-1/#comment-180 caulay Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:39:08 +0000 http://raven.phoenyx.net/mutterings/2008/11/what-is-the-purpose-of-primary-education/#comment-180 <p>My uncle taught high school in the town I was born in (not grew up in, that's a different one). The entire educational process was designed to turn out good paper mill workers. People who could read warning signs and sign their name but <b>not</b> think. The "thinkers" would be brought in from somewhere else.</p> <p>And that is exactly what I think of when people start talking about primary education teaching "employable skills". To me, that always translates to "We want people who will be willing to do dull, dirty and monotonous work for little pay and few benefits because they have neither the inclination nor ability to do anything else." Which also translates to "We want to set up our own version of a third-world sweat-shop with out, you know, dealing with people who speak funny languages we don't understand."</p> My uncle taught high school in the town I was born in (not grew up in, that’s a different one). The entire educational process was designed to turn out good paper mill workers. People who could read warning signs and sign their name but not think. The “thinkers” would be brought in from somewhere else.

And that is exactly what I think of when people start talking about primary education teaching “employable skills”. To me, that always translates to “We want people who will be willing to do dull, dirty and monotonous work for little pay and few benefits because they have neither the inclination nor ability to do anything else.” Which also translates to “We want to set up our own version of a third-world sweat-shop with out, you know, dealing with people who speak funny languages we don’t understand.”

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