They’ve been doing this for the past I don’t know how many years. Now it’s called “Constructivism.” What did they call it 20 years ago? There is nothing new under the sun. This is just another recycled, tired, failing idea.
Have you noticed how many Christian schools and public charter schools are now using a classical curriculum? A public classical charter school in my state (with a majority of minority students whose first language is not English, poverty level, students eligible for free lunch, $7,000 per year spent on each student, etc.), just beat my neighborhood middle class and above middle school with its progressive ideas and $14,000 expenditure per student, on their state tests.
It’s amazing isn’t it?
You’re right.
20 years ago, heck even 40 years ago, it was still called constructivism. This news is not really new. It was pioneered by Jean Piaget. Education majors in colleges all over the United States get Constructivism jammed down their throats at every turn as THE way to educate children. It is not really a curriculum, it is more of a method of learning.
You can have schools using a classical curriculum and still be constructivist.
Constructivism was mainly developed in the 1990’s. Professors liked to talk about it. What’s new is that schools might now tell parents, “We’ve adopted a Constructivist approach,” as if this is good, as if nothing else needs to be said, as if all debate is now over.