Post by Peon on Jan 18, 2010 20:21:53 GMT -5
Simplicio: Suppose you woke up tomorrow morning and you had no concept of numbers.
Salviati: I assume my first order of business would be to quit my job as a mathematician?
Simplicio: Well, yes, but beyond that how could you possibly survive in society? I ask this question because I have heard the argument many times recently that in the parlance of our times, the calculator and computer have largely superseded the need for society as a whole to know basic arithmetic; furthermore, higher math is unnecessary to all but those who pursue a career in science or engineering. So to take it one step further, why don't we simply remove common knowledge of mathematics entirely and preserve it only for those who specifically pursue it? SURELY today's computers would be able to pick up the slack!
Salviati: As sarcasm-laden as your last statement was, I see no problem with it. In fact, I would be inclined to make the argument that ALL education should be optional, rather than simply the parts of it which are regarded as boring or obsolete.
Simplicio: Oh, I see where you're going with this. Talk of "unschooling" is all well and good for the occasional off-beat CNN article, but you can't honestly expect entire societies to be able to handle the concept. Without structured schools, the disparity between the wealthy and the uneducated poor would become ever larger, and any modern technology as we know it would fall apart.
Salviati: But who says there wouldn't be structured schooling? Schools would still be plentiful and basic curricula would still exist. The main difference, however, would be that every teacher would have free rein over how and what to teach in his or her classes, and all students who stepped through the schools' doors would truly enjoy the material they learned.
Simplicio: Schools would be barren after the first week! Do you honestly think that given the option, any child would choose to sit in class rather than play outside? I certainly have some horrible memories of my time in grade school!
Salviati: And your memories of the standardized testing, homogeneous teaching, and overbearing death to creativity are precisely what is giving you a bad taste in your mouth about school. It's not the education itself that is bad, but the methods of teaching. Yes, schools may see some initial lack of enrollment. But as soon as a new generation grows older, one that has never experienced a Scantron test, that new generation will open their eyes to the world and behold the wonders there are to learn in any subject they wish. And those who don't care to learn from teachers and books? We can always use more laborers, farmers, or factory workers. The bottom line is that over-regulation has never benefitted any free society, and school is no exception. Cookie-cutter education never existed until this past century. It should exist no longer.
Salviati: I assume my first order of business would be to quit my job as a mathematician?
Simplicio: Well, yes, but beyond that how could you possibly survive in society? I ask this question because I have heard the argument many times recently that in the parlance of our times, the calculator and computer have largely superseded the need for society as a whole to know basic arithmetic; furthermore, higher math is unnecessary to all but those who pursue a career in science or engineering. So to take it one step further, why don't we simply remove common knowledge of mathematics entirely and preserve it only for those who specifically pursue it? SURELY today's computers would be able to pick up the slack!
Salviati: As sarcasm-laden as your last statement was, I see no problem with it. In fact, I would be inclined to make the argument that ALL education should be optional, rather than simply the parts of it which are regarded as boring or obsolete.
Simplicio: Oh, I see where you're going with this. Talk of "unschooling" is all well and good for the occasional off-beat CNN article, but you can't honestly expect entire societies to be able to handle the concept. Without structured schools, the disparity between the wealthy and the uneducated poor would become ever larger, and any modern technology as we know it would fall apart.
Salviati: But who says there wouldn't be structured schooling? Schools would still be plentiful and basic curricula would still exist. The main difference, however, would be that every teacher would have free rein over how and what to teach in his or her classes, and all students who stepped through the schools' doors would truly enjoy the material they learned.
Simplicio: Schools would be barren after the first week! Do you honestly think that given the option, any child would choose to sit in class rather than play outside? I certainly have some horrible memories of my time in grade school!
Salviati: And your memories of the standardized testing, homogeneous teaching, and overbearing death to creativity are precisely what is giving you a bad taste in your mouth about school. It's not the education itself that is bad, but the methods of teaching. Yes, schools may see some initial lack of enrollment. But as soon as a new generation grows older, one that has never experienced a Scantron test, that new generation will open their eyes to the world and behold the wonders there are to learn in any subject they wish. And those who don't care to learn from teachers and books? We can always use more laborers, farmers, or factory workers. The bottom line is that over-regulation has never benefitted any free society, and school is no exception. Cookie-cutter education never existed until this past century. It should exist no longer.
