Education: Science Fiction That’s Needed Now

The Freehold ^ | September 18, 2012 | Ed Raby Sr

[EveningStar]

...The one thing modern education does not do very well is teach critical thinking and this needs to change. In my own life, it was the hall way bull sessions of high school and college that probably did more along this line than any class. In Space Cadet, this took the form of the hall way bull session, but in Starship Troopers it was an actual class called History and Moral Philosophy...

[Pontiac]

I would note, that I said support education, not control it. I believe that local control is necessary for education to be truly effective.

The author seems to be somewhat of a dreamer.

There is no government funding without government control. Sorry but politicians get there jollies by controlling everything.

And realistically there is a certain responsibility for congress to ensure that public funds that they allocate are spent for a good purpose.

In my opinion schools if they are to be funded by government they should be funded locally; no federal money and state money only if they local government can not finance the schools to a minimal level alone.

[MarkL]

I'd certainly be thrilled if any schools (high school or college) actually taught Hobbes and Locke. Ask a high school or college student who Hobbes is and if you're lucky, you'll hear, "that cute stuffed tiger in the cartoon."

Mark

[GenXteacher]

“I’d certainly be thrilled if any schools (high school or college) actually taught Hobbes and Locke.”

Well, I do. I teach my students about Locke’s natural laws of government, and about how Locke’s ideas are incorporated into the Declaration of Independence. As a history teacher I would condemn myself as derelict if I did not. That being said, a lot of students probably just remember it long enough to get by the next quiz or test.....

[MarkL]

I teach my students about Locke’s natural laws of government, and about how Locke’s ideas are incorporated into the Declaration of Independence.

I'm in awe of you then. What level classes do you teach?

I have to admit that I never learned anything by them, and my knowledge of both Hobbes and Locke are extremely superficial, though I hope to find the time to change that. I did know that their works were very influential with our Founders.

I really am amazed at how little is taught to grade school and middle school children regarding what sets the USA apart from the rest of the world. And I can't believe that any student would ever fall for the collectivist crap that is popular had they even learned anything about Hobbes and Locke! Of course, that could be the reason that most teachers stay away from them.

Mark

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks EveningStar.

[GenXteacher]

I teach high school. 9th graders and 11th graders, US and World History. I’ve done a couple of stints as a community college adjunct besides that.

“I really am amazed at how little is taught to grade school and middle school children regarding what sets the USA apart from the rest of the world.”
I am not surprised- much of primary school at the present is spent teaching the students to pass standardized tests largely biased towards reading and math. Things like history and geography more or less got kicked to the curb.

“And I can’t believe that any student would ever fall for the collectivist crap that is popular had they even learned anything about Hobbes and Locke! “
They don’t, when you show them the results. I spend a bit of time on the Soviet Union, and its collapse...most of them never heard of Joseph Stalin until they get my class...then they get it.