On Education

[Ian Beale]

Robin Dunbar (2010). “How Many Friends Does One Person Need? Dunbar’s number and other evolutionary quirks”. Faber and Faber. P214.

On Education.

“But my real concern is this. An education is not just a technical training in the arcane knowledge of a discipline (whether that be history, politics or a science). It is training in how to think and evaluate, how to marshal evidence for and against a position, how to approach a problem critically without falling prey to prejudice and preconception. Those are skills that everyone from bank manager to politician, journalist to local government functionary, needs every working day. But to train those skills, it is necessary to excite an interest. And somewhere along the line between primary school and university, we are managing to stamp out that sense of excitement and enquiry. We will rue the day we lost sight of that.”

(My bold)

I think we are.

An interesting book IMO.

[sandhiller]

1 hour ago, Ian Beale said:

It is training in how to think and evaluate

For ones self. 

Not just regurgitate the pablum force fed to young minds in some (all?) institutions.

My hat is off to those teachers who cultivate a curious and inquisitive mind in their students.

You have the future of mankind to mold as putty in your hands. 

I can think of no task more critical to our survival. 

[mike newman]

20 minutes ago, sandhiller said:

For ones self. 

Not just regurgitate the pablum force fed to young minds in some (all?) institutions.

My hat is off to those teachers who cultivate a curious and inquisitive mind in their students.

You have the future of mankind to mold as putty in your hands. 

I can think of no task more critical to our survival. 

...good thoughts there Jeff...perhaps a bit over the top, though.....using old fashioned common sense approach to  education....

New  Zealand has slipped waaaay down on the list of ''developed  '' countries education standards

I tell young people today...that before you settle on a ''partner''...you should check their plumbing..in case there have been'' non-factory gender changing modification  ''

...that sort of BS has found its way down under..

....have times ever changed ....

Mike

...for the worse

 

[sandhiller]

5 minutes ago, mike newman said:

...good thoughts there Jeff...perhaps a bit over the top, though.....using old fashioned common sense approach to  education....

New  Zealand has slipped waaaay down on the list of ''developed  '' countries education standards

I tell young people today...that before you settle on a ''partner''...you should check their plumbing..in case there have been'' non-factory gender changing modification  ''

...that sort of BS has found its way down under..

....have times ever changed ....

Mike

 

You make good points Mike, sad as they are, it is the same the world over. 

As far as navigating through all the bottom bouncers we have today, I'd rather be in a boat. 

[U-C]

bring back the country schools folks learned some real stuff not like now a days lol

[Ian Beale]

11 hours ago, mike newman said:

I tell young people today...that before you settle on a ''partner''...you should check their plumbing..in case there have been'' non-factory gender changing modification  ''

Thanks for that Mike.  I'll have to revise.  

I used to suggest checking what was between the ears before worrying too much about what was between the legs.

[hardtail]

Afraid our public education system and more accurate your children's minds was the focus of the UN and Agenda 21, passed and carried out at the turn of this century, experiencing the fallout of that as we head toward their new plan for 2030 🤯

[England806]

15 hours ago, Ian Beale said:

Robin Dunbar (2010). “How Many Friends Does One Person Need? Dunbar’s number and other evolutionary quirks”. Faber and Faber. P214.

On Education.

“But my real concern is this. An education is not just a technical training in the arcane knowledge of a discipline (whether that be history, politics or a science). It is training in how to think and evaluate, how to marshal evidence for and against a position, how to approach a problem critically without falling prey to prejudice and preconception. Those are skills that everyone from bank manager to politician, journalist to local government functionary, needs every working day. But to train those skills, it is necessary to excite an interest. And somewhere along the line between primary school and university, we are managing to stamp out that sense of excitement and enquiry. We will rue the day we lost sight of that.”

(My bold)

I think we are.

An interesting book IMO.

Good advice indeed. The new generation should take notice. 
I think education in general is in decline and standards have fallen due to all the PC and woke nonsense that we are being fed. 

[Ian Beale]

21 hours ago, England806 said:

Good advice indeed. The new generation should take notice. 
I think education in general is in decline and standards have fallen due to all the PC and woke nonsense that we are being fed. 

You don't have to think it .

About the 1970's I got to show a US university English major the English exam papers I had to answer for graduation from high school.

She gave them back and commented that she would see some of that in third year.  And our education system has been ape-ing yours since then so we're catching up fast.