[JohnHuang2]

Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Quote of the Day by A_perfect_lady

[Caipirabob]

Self Esteem In Public School = We refuse to teach your child anything. We are removing any potential standards of achievement so that we may conceal this more effectively.

It makes us feel better about ourselves.

[Tokhtamish]

There are two structural factors here.

One is that vastly more parents are college educated than was the case 50 years ago and they are well aware that education is not the most demanding of disciplines. So the 'expertise' of the so-called 'educational elite' does not impress them in the least.

There is a basic conflict between parents and the 'educational elite'. Parents see education as socialization for the workplace. Study is tedious ? Tough. So is work. Competition hurts your feelings ? Tough. Did you think the world out there cares about your feelings ? In a world where three year olds must produce resumes to qualify for the choicest pre-schools yuppie parents have no use for hippy dippy foolishness. They push their children constantly. After all, what is the purpose of the rampant vogue of karate training for children except to teach your children self-discipline, strength, zeal for excellence, and achievement ? Respect for excellence pervades the martial arts world. Nobody is entitled to feel-good self esteem.

[fporretto]

For a detailed and rather horrifying account of this trend in the government-run schools, read Charles Sykes's Dumbing Down Our Kids, now available in paperback.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
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