Education must evolve in response to the
realities of our times - - -
The whole public system has become much too
politicized ... various political, financial
and ideological interest groups waging all-out
war against each other. Each is determined to
brainwash the kiddies THEIR way with THEIR
'truths' to serve THEIR purposes and agendas.
"Education" ? Lost concept. Can't get there
from here anymore.
It wasn't always like this, but now it is - so
we just have to accept this new reality and act
accordingly before the Great Toilet finishes
its flush cycle.
If politics is screwing-up public education and
no sane compromises can be reached (and, after
decades of trying, they haven't been) the only
remaining option is to largely abandon the public
system and switch to private education plans.
This is no panacea however. Every private school,
tutor and parent serving to educate will bring
their OWN ideologies to the chalkboard, brainwash
the kiddies THEIR way even if they imagine they're
being 'neutral'.
There will be Jesus schools, Satanist schools,
athiest schools, fascist, commie, socialist,
militarist, pacifist, passivist, Darwininan,
anti-Darwinian, 'liberal', 'conservative',
Libertarian free-market, communitarian no-market,
self-esteem, screw-esteem, whack-the-slackers-
with-a-stick-and-let-'em-get-esteem-through-
success, pro-tech, luddite, artsy-fartsy ...
you name it and there will be private schools
pu****ng those perspectives and ignoring or
denegrating rival philosophies. Sometimes the
bias will be intended and overt, sometimes subtle,
sometimes unrealized.
Such a lack of uniformity has good sides and bad.
It allows for much greater depth along any given
course, but it also creates an uneven workforce
that will hurt our international competitiveness
and can promote far deeper divisions amongst the
citizenry.
Again, no panaceas ... just a way to do somewhat
better in the current environment. Natural selection
in action.
But what real choice do we HAVE if we want
tomorrows citizens to posess the depth and
breadth and critical thinking skills needed
to make democracy work and keep us afloat
in a sea of competitors ? The current mess
of confused, bowlderized, politicized PAP
(or is that "CRAP") passing for "education"
just isn't anywhere close to meeting the need.
SOMEDAY, we may be able to return to a largely
public system. This can only happen after the
existing system has been eliminated and the
assorted vultures stop circling its mummified
corpse. THEN perhaps we can, as objectively
as possible, re-assemble a fairly 'neutral'
high-quality education system.
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