Education Reform LO9454

Ben Compton (BCOMPTON@novell.com)
Sun, 25 Aug 1996 17:37:57 -0600

Replying to LO9385 --

> I have to challenge again the notion that there is something wrong with
> educating people for work. I have never, never, never, heard a clear
> description of the problem. The concerns we frequently hear are vague
> connections to preparing people for the assembly line or training welders or
> some such thing. This is indicative of how far we have strayed from
> understanding the nature of most work in the United States. Assembly line work
> is an extraordinarily small portion of the work available today. In fact, we
> probably preparing people for this level of work. That is doubly unfortunate,
> because there just isn't that much of it.

> Every business leader who has ever spoken on this issue has made essentially the
> same point. We need people who can think clearly, articulate clearly, and take
> action that is congruent with their thinking. We need people who can be
> thoughtful, responsible citizens.

> I challenge anyone to be specific about what we can incorporate into the
> curriculum that would lead to intelligent, thoughtful citizens, _and_ would be
> valuable to people in their work lives.

Rol, I like the question & the challenge. . .

I think we should forget education as we know it. We should return to an
"apprenticeship" style education. Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson certainly
benefited from this type of education. And, I think that they were both reasonably
thoughtful citizens.

Early education should focus on reading, writing and arithmetic. Once a student has
developed these skills, there's nothing he/she can't learn.

Our education system focuses too much on memorization and recitation. It doesn't
focus, IMO, enough on thinking. . .nor should it. That's what apprenticeships are for.

It is my opinion that the only thing higher education teaches us is that we need more
education.

Just a few laconic thoughts on a lazy Sunday afternoon. . .


-- 

Benjamin B. Compton ("Ben") | email: bcompton@novell.com Novell, GroupWare Support Quality Manager | fax: (801) 222-6991

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