Posted on 01/12/2007 11:10:32 AM PST by SmithL
Actually, I don't agree. I think education should be enjoyable. Students learn better if they enjoy being in class. But they should learn their discpline, not idealogy that is spewed at them at the discretion of a given teacher.
But I completely agree with you that there are no standards anymore. The problem is, that is being worked on at the college level and not the way we would want to see. Standards are being written as we speak. The aim is to get all schools the country over teaching the same thing and then have students pass a general standardized test in order to pass the class. There will be standards, but you will not be happy with them. But even so, I agree completely with the point you are making. There needs to be some agreement on the substance on the displine taught.
Unfortunately, the humanities do not have objective standards. Plato would tell you that the state should apply them. Certainly the academy, through consensus or otherwise, cannot be trusted to impose them anymore. That's who we've depended upon in free societies.
As a believer in a free society, I don't want the state to do so.
There are still conservatives here, but some liberals are much more activist and loud-mouthed.
I took an American literature class here two years ago with a wonderful English professor (specialized in Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn) who, yes, was definitely liberal, but tried not to interject too much liberalism into his lectures. Of course, the class was at 9 am, so most of us were totally asleep.
Now, I don't make too many forays into the College of Arts & Sciences, other than for math classes, so what I write here suffers from a limitation in my perspective.
I don't mind liberals who are honest about it and try not to force it on you. Glad to hear that there are still conservatives there. And so sorry to hear that the libs have taken over. I would never have expected that in a million years. The best church I've ever gone to is in Charlottesville and I've missed it--still do--all these years.
I wish you the best with your studies.
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