Education Part ll

[JOEBIALEK]

This is the second part to an earlier writing about education in the United States. As you may recall, I advocated for the privatization of all schools from kindergarten to graduate studies. This piece will focus on the curriculum that needs to be followed.

Everytime I encounter someone in the workplace, I am reminded of just how much we have failed to properly educate United States citizens in the fundamentals of communication: reading, writing and speaking. Few would argue that the time is long overdue for the United States to "get back to the basics" of a fully functional education system. We need to exclusively focus on the development of communication skills from kindergarten to eighth grade along with annual testing that measures apptitude and interest. Training in mathematics should be limited to addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Unless communication skills are fully mastered, there is no need to advance to high school.

For those who graduate to high school, the emphasis could evolve into a curriculum of philosophy, sociology, economics, psychology, science and religious studies. Books such as "For Dummies" and "The Complete Idiot's Guide" could be used to foster an understanding of different religions. Athletic activity would be strictly confined to cardio vascular exercises and all sports would be eliminated. While there would still be an emphasis on communication skills, the focus would now be on developing a foundation of basic knowledge so as to be able to graduate to college. Testing for apptitude and interest would continue through high school increasing the chances of picking the right field of study . Those not continuing on to college would enter some type of apprenticeship training for the purpose of learning a trade. For those who do graduate to college, the student would continue to study an advanced version of the same curriculum as high school but only for the first two years then they would complete their education by strictly focusing on coursework designed to train them in their field of study. Nearing graduation, internships would be required to begin the transition to the working world. Think of how different our society would be if our education system could just teach the fundamentals of reading, writing and speaking.

[IrishEyes]

Ok, let me get this straight...
Through the eigth grade, the only math to be taught is "+ - X /" ?? Once the student enters high school, would more math be offered, encouraged, required, or prohibited? (Don't think I'm a math freak, my oldest daughter would totally LOVE this!)

Actaully, I agree to a great extent with your idea of getting back to the basics. We don't do a lot of structured math in our schooling. We concentrate more on communication skills. Of course, that may be due in large part to my bias towards languages (both written and spoken). I feel that if children learn how to read, and develop a love for reading, they can figure out most anything else.

I like your idea of aptitude testing as well. One of the problems in today's system is that children are forced to do things that they neither like nor have the skills to master. If a person wants to be a welder, or a hairdresser, WHY do they need foreign languages to graduate from high school?

[rockytriton]

Does this mean there will or will not be an ebonics class?

[JOEBIALEK]

good points...

[Turtle]

Plato outlined your system over 2 thousand years ago in The Republic, & even more rigorously I might add. The merits aside, it is IMO non-implementable. Not then, not now, perhaps never. In order to do so, you must convince the... er...ignorant of its merit which they haven't the er... intelligence to reason out, or you must enforce it by draconian methods. Not likely.

[GAHD]

hmm, I'd disagree with the limited math: Math is and always will be necessary, in every job. Shure, people can use timepeices and calculators as a crutch, but those are never as fast as somebody who memorised their tables and ratios. Exponents and variables are Integral parts of a decent math system. Algebra should be a requirement too.

I dont think religion should be taught untill later in life, if at all. Morals do not require religion to exist. As for trades workers, yes theat should be taught from an early age as well. Muchof what I know of science comes from learning trades(like why you don't want a steel gas line and a copper water line touching, how gravity works with fluids, how much more force/inertia an extra 10lbs of hammer adds, etc...) It is also shocks me when I walk into some manufacturing plants: almost everyone is 40-60, and all of them talk about retireing. Meanwhile call centers are full of people my age looking for a higher paying job, it's rediculous.

[questor]

Rocky, if you need remedial courses in Ebonics, please emigrate to Washington, DC.
it is taught in every high school here and is the mother tongue for most natives.

[questor]

Joe, you said

''Everytime I encounter someone in the workplace, I am reminded of just how much we have failed to properly educate United States citizens in the fundamentals of communication: reading, writing and speaking. Few would argue that the time is long overdue for the United States to "get back to the basics" of a fully functional education system. We need to exclusively focus on the development of communication skills from kindergarten to eighth grade....''

i think one of our major problems is in thinking we can GIVE someone an education.
all we can do is provide facilities and faculties that allow them to educate themselves. this involves
a partnership between parents and teachers ( which failing schools do not have ), faculties who are motivated and can speak proper English ( which failing schools do not have ), classroom discipline with appropriate consequences for offenders ( which failing schools do not have ), and a system which allows for merit being rewarded
instead of ridiculed. without these things, and more, all schools will fail regardless of the curriculum.

[questor]

Gahd, you said

'' Morals do not require religion to exist.''

where would you say morals originated ?

[GAHD]

I make no claims on the origins of morals, simply that a person can have good morals without religious beleif.

My moral structure comes from an understanding of the effects my actions can have; eg, 'don't have sex with your best friend's girlfriend and expect to remain friends with him.' 'Don't hurt/kill people, their friends/family will likely hurt/kill you.' 'Don't steal, those people worked for it, you can work for it too.'

Seems fairly straight-forward to me.