Dumber America:Our failing educational concept

Something I wrote the other day-- while fucked up of course... LOL... seriously if you don't have time or don't wanna read anything long skip this thread... (in two parts.. lol.. was too long to fit in one post..)


Dumber America: Our failing educational concept


Not only is our educational system a mess and disastrously amiss-- so is our whole concept of education. In our society we have been conditioned to believe somehow a piece of paper will give someone a great plethora of knowledge. Our society then makes the acquisition of these papers seem like some type of great journey.

What exactly do these papers actually represent? The fact that you have mastered the art of repeating. That’s it. Our whole educational system is built around the skill of repeating. You don’t acquire degrees by contemplating life, you don’t acquire degrees from daily experiences, you don’t acquire degrees from solving a history mystery, you don’t acquire degrees by discovering something new, you don’t even acquire degrees by attaining new daily solutions. You acquire degrees by simply being good at repeating things.

The problem with confusing skillful repeating and actual knowledge and wisdom is disastrous. People’s whole lives are now decided by whether or not they are good at repeating what was told to them, usually without self research or inquisition. We have professors and teachers who are simply repeating what they were taught, who were repeating what they were taught, and it continues on. Sometimes new things are added, sometimes things are removed. Yet, most of it remains unchanged and unchallenged. Now the actual knowledge that is being repeated over and over-- where did it come from?

Anyone who has honestly and independently studied any type of history would know first hand that everything you learned in school is tainted. Our founding fathers are pictured to be perfect gentlemen when they were truly marijuana smoking, slave owning rebels sick of tyranny. Read a textbook from Britain about the American Revolution and notice the differences. We can’t forget-- the “knowledge” we have today was written by the victors, the surviving people, and of course, are bias in their favor.

The school system also picks and chooses the “knowledge” they feel is important. They will teach our children about our Constitution and our Bill of Rights yet not tell them how right now, the government has effectively eroded our “rights” before our eyes. The school system is blatantly manipulating our youths’ real knowledge and more importantly their view of what’s truly going on in the world.

Our educational system is not in place to further knowledge and education, and instead seems to lessen the possibility of people attaining true knowledge and wisdom. Acquiring actual knowledge and wisdom takes a lifetime-- and a strong desire to continue seeking knowledge and wisdom continuously throughout one’s life. Everything you think you know can be completely different tomorrow and it’s absolutely ignorant of us as a society to think that this “information” that we’ve been taught is stagnant.

Obviously, attaining real true knowledge takes continuing effort. However in our society ideally you go to college, you graduate, then go to work. From then on, is supposed to be the “rest of your life”. Unfortunately when you get to the “rest of your life” part-- free time is hugely diminished. At this point individuals have to make a choice of how to spend their little free time. Most people pick to do “enjoyable” activities instead of attaining and retaining knowledge and wisdom. You have two types of people, people who find attaining knowledge as an enjoyable activity and those who do not. Most people of our society fall in the latter of the two. Where did this idea of learning not being enjoyable come from? Our school system.

When children are still too young to go to school, they’re clearly learning lots about the world they live in. They never complain. As time goes on, the children proudly sing their ABC’s and 123’s. Almost all toddlers go through the “why” stage, our children are begging to learn. Yet as they grow older and move up in grades-- the school system becomes more and more structured and effectively boxes in our children. We sit them at desks and tell them you must learn this, you must do this. Then we wonder why they don’t like school, why are grades dropping, why is our population becoming dumber. All people-- no matter age, race, sex, when someone talks at you continuously, you will shut them out, and may even take up a negative reaction to whatever they were trying to talk at you about. Yet somehow we don’t think our children will react the same way we all do?

The school system effectively suppresses the innate human drive of curiosity. While some self directed education does happen in school-- it is still nearly nothing and has boundaries. You can’t honestly believe that most elementary school children wouldn’t want to know how electricity works, who the Mayans were, where we came from, how clouds form, how to express themselves better. The plain truth is that out of human curiosity, we want to gather as much information as possible. These negative reactions in children in response to the approach of the educational system is causing the very thing that it is supposed to fix. How does the educational system react to a clear failure at “giving knowledge” to the masses? Throw more money into the broken system, blame the parents, and lower the passing grades.

While I do believe that the parents have a direct responsibility to the education their children receive, no matter how bad the educational system is-- I cannot throw stones, I clearly see the box the parents have been put in as well. We have come into a society now where single mothers are rampant, broken families are more common than traditional families, and where parents are at work all the time to just try and make ends meet. Most have their backs to a wall and have no choice but to put their kids into the public school system. Studies have proved that the majority of parents would have their children in a private school if they could afford it. What makes this fact even more alarming is that on average the government spends more on each student in public school than parents pay for each student in private school. Clearly the system is more than broken, and the tax payers are being ripped off in the process for this broken system.

Parents are also being blamed for not being involved enough in the education process-- they aren’t making sure their kids do their homework, they aren’t answering questions, they aren’t being supportive enough, the list goes on and on. While I agree with this partially (as I don‘t think this is the major reason the educational system is failing), I think the root of this problem is the same as why the children don’t want to learn in the first place. These parents are the past students of the same broken system, these parents most likely had the same negative feelings toward school that their children are experiencing now. These parents are then unintentionally encouraging the negative reaction towards learning by not participating directly in their children’s education. Also, by not being involved parents have no clue what their children are learning and are letting the school system shape their views and understandings of our world. Are we so willing to hand off our children blindly to be reared by the educational system? A quick point as well, being involved in your child’s education means more than just participating when they need help. As parents, we should be there the whole time along their journey for knowledge, not just when they fall.

I don’t know any other way to interpret the constant lowering of passing grades and graduation requirements than the educational system admitting complete and utter failure. That’s what it basically means. They’ve given up all other possible ways to try and improve test scores, improve graduation rates, improve GPAs. That’s what it means. Throwing money at the problem didn’t work. Trying to get the parents involved didn’t work. So they decide that these passing grades, these graduation requirements, these test scores are too high of expectations for our population. Most of these standards had been in place for years. Yet, for some reason, as our society keeps progressing, as more and more technology is developed at staggering rates, our expectations of our children’s education and knowledge is going down?

Remember when having a college degree basically guaranteed you a good job until you retired? Not anymore. College graduates are unemployed. Why? A part of it obviously is the job crisis going on in this nation today-- however, another big part of it is the fact that nearly anyone can get into college today. They lower the graduation requirements for 8th grade so more kids can get into high school, then they lower the high school graduation requirements so more people can acquire a high school diploma. With the large variety of colleges available now, a high school diploma basically guarantees the fact that you can find some college to accept you. Now we have flooded the job market with tons of college graduates. While on the outside it looks as though we are advancing wonderfully with better educating our population, in fact the actual intelligence levels of these college graduates are the same as the graduating high school seniors of yesteryear.

The scariest thing about the education system we currently have staying in place is the fact that it is eroding the intelligence of our nation as a whole. Even worse, is the fact that while most of our population is being dumbed down by the education system, it is also bolstering up the truly intelligent ones even more. With this world we live in run by greed and a love for power, widening the gap between the “intelligent” and the “not so intelligent” is very dangerous. This will only further the problems and further the separation between social and wealth classes. In retrospect, it will make it easier for the lower and middle classes to be manipulated and taken advantage of.

Now I don’t have any problem whatsoever with the concept of schools in general-- I think knowledge and wisdom is essential to being an adequate human being. However, my problem lies within the current school system and education concept. Most involved in the educational system are well intentioned people, and this is not an attack on them. I’m merely saying that the system is broken and works against the pursuit and acquisition of real knowledge and wisdom.

Thank you to the two teachers I had whom felt it was their duty above all else to pass on true knowledge and force us to learn how to think for ourselves-- even when the textbook says otherwise. With my deepest sincerity, it was an honor to be taught by you.

OMG... Thats a mouth full... =]

I will read the whole thing eventually... =]

Since attending college I FREAKING LOVE SCHOOL... I love learning new things and interacting with new people who have similar goals...

It is said that the journey is more important than the destination... Make your own destiny through your journey and enlightenment... OR... Let the horse guide the cart not visa versa... =]

LOVE... =P

moon47usaco said:

OMG... Thats a mouth full... =]

I will read the whole thing eventually... =]

Since attending college I FREAKING LOVE SCHOOL... I love learning new things and interacting with new people who have similar goals...

It is said that the journey is more important than the destination... Make your own destiny through your journey and enlightenment... OR... Let the horse guide the cart not visa versa... =]

LOVE... =P

Click to expand...

Exactly, a new educational system and conept must come about. Where your intelligence is judged by what you have independently learned and have accomplished rather than "what school you attended".

Thanks for readin' at least part of it, lol.. rather open people's eyesa little than not at all... lol..

I will read it all... Probly on the weekend when i have time to read... =]

Most of the pressure to attend "GOOD" schools is a false concept... These schools do have very good teachers who are or were at one time top of their profession and have much to pass on to open minds...

But a student who has attended a community college and knows what he/she wants out of the learning experience will most likely gain much more and will have an even shot at a good position if he/she knows how to market his/her skills in a convincing way... =]

Like i said i go to school for the experience and not for the goal of a degree... Thats why i LOVE college because that is possible... You only need to take classes YOU are interested in along with classes the are pertinent and required to correctly learn the material you seek to achieve...

I have already taken all the classes i wanted to take for my certificate but never really received the certificate... It is just a paper and more hassle then it is worth... I have received the knowledge that i desired to learn... =]

I hated and still hate the primary schooling system... Forced to learn "AND REPEAT YEAR AFTER YEAR" material that was of no interest to me and was something i WOULD NEVER USE AGAIN...

well, i can say i agree with everything you've written. since recently having a child i have been examining the education system. i find it abhorant. i hate to be cynical but i'll repeat the intent of a rant i heard recently: look, america pays for what it gets. don't you think if the largest of all world powers ever, wanted to have the smartest children in the world, it could? of course it could.

i dont think the powers which OWN this nation want a population of educated, critical thinking children. i think the educational system in place is proof of that. the 'department of education' has failed. in case anyone thinks different, it's important to note what a collossal failer this is. 'the worlds strongest superpower cant educate its children even as good as china.' that's so fucked up its beginning to look by design.

as a parent, all we can do is try for private school and ALWAYS teach your children how to learn. i love learning and read for adult education regularly. so, we teach our children by participation and example. don't bet on the government schools. isn't it sad we've reached this point.

its time to take this country back. as sleazy as it is, i think americans are discovering how essential it is to get involved with politics and voting again. while we were living our lives thinking polititions were 'basically good at heart' and after 'our best interest' the slimeballs connected to big buisness and banks took positions of power and have hijacked this country's purpose and direction. they are running this country into the ground and it's time to either jump ship or start a mutiny for control over the wheel.

we need a man of the people in the white house and we need constitutionalists in every position up the ladder. i hope americans are starting to wake up. thanks, milf.

All seems very true, ive always thought the school system is one of the only thing that hasnt been organised and managed right, its the exact same system we were using 100s of years ago only now theres much more to learn.
BUT, i wanted to ask if the rest of the world is any different since this was all about the american school system.

closet.cult said:

well, i can say i agree with everything you've written. since recently having a child i have been examining the education system. i find it abhorant. i hate to be cynical but i'll repeat the intent of a rant i heard recently: look, america pays for what it gets. don't you think if the largest of all world powers ever, wanted to have the smartest children in the world, it could? of course it could.

i dont think the powers which OWN this nation want a population of educated, critical thinking children. i think the educational system in place is proof of that. the 'department of education' has failed. in case anyone thinks different, it's important to note what a collossal failer this is. 'the worlds strongest superpower cant educate its children even as good as china.' that's so fucked up its beginning to look by design.

as a parent, all we can do is try for private school and ALWAYS teach your children how to learn. i love learning and read for adult education regularly. so, we teach our children by participation and example. don't bet on the government schools. isn't it sad we've reached this point.

its time to take this country back. as sleazy as it is, i think americans are discovering how essential it is to get involved with politics and voting again. while we were living our lives thinking polititions were 'basically good at heart' and after 'our best interest' the slimeballs connected to big buisness and banks took positions of power and have hijacked this country's purpose and direction. they are running this country into the ground and it's time to either jump ship or start a mutiny for control over the wheel.

we need a man of the people in the white house and we need constitutionalists in every position up the ladder. i hope americans are starting to wake up. thanks, milf.

Click to expand...

And I agree with everything you just said, thanks for taking the time out to read this! And I'm truly glad as a parent you're aware of the situation so that you can seek out a way to truly educate your child/ren.

valuablevariable said:

All seems very true, ive always thought the school system is one of the only thing that hasnt been organised and managed right, its the exact same system we were using 100s of years ago only now theres much more to learn.
BUT, i wanted to ask if the rest of the world is any different since this was all about the american school system.

Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to read this! I'm not sure about the rest of the world... but I am def. now going to research it... I truly wouldn't be surprised if this failing concept is being used widespread- however, in certain places like China, I would assume this kind of educational system would be highly sought...

My wife is from thailand... He daughter is still going to school there and let me tell you things are VERRY different in other countries... In her country there is no such thing as free schooling... There are less expensive schools in her town and the statement of what you pay for holds true globally... While they are not bad schools the ones that are more expensive have teachers who have more education themselves and of course the facilities are better... More computers, books, ect...

There is none of this DISTRICT selection that bothers me allot about schools here in America... My wife was shocked when she found out that a friend of hers here takes their kids miles away to another school when they live across the street from a school the they are OUT OF DISTRICT for... If there is room and you can afford to go to a school thats that...

The curriculum is also very different... From what i understand at the school (high school equ) my wife went to there are dedicated studies... You have your core classes language, math ect but there are buildings dedicated to certain studies that YUO may choose from... Cooking, electrician, engineering ect... And the high school system is split into two three year sections and from what i understand if you want after the first three year section you can choose to go to another school that is even more specialized so that you can continue to concentrate on what YOU want to learn...

I do not totally understand it myself but i like what i hear...

Plus most asian schools are uniformed and i am really in favor of that... Well i do not think that i would like it myself but seeing it from the outside you appreciate the benefits of it more so than when you are the one who is made to do it... I know it sucks to be told what to wear but it really does help keep a certain sense of order to school and strips away allot of prejudice that is involved with social dress... If all your class mates look like you, you are less prone to see the person sitting beside you and say "Oh great i have to sit next to that stupid goth girl"... It becomes more of "Oh this girl who sits next to me is pretty smart, maybe she can help me with my homework"... Or whatever you want to insert in that kind of situation...

That was winded... =]

Any way YES learning is allot different in other parts of the world... The examples i gave here are just of a few... =]



Most people that come here for our "BETTER" schools are seeking higher education... And we do have good colleges...
I am hesitant to bring my wife's daughter here as i am sickened by the primary schools system... But i do want her to get into school here as soon as possible so that she is comfortable here when it is time to go to college...

I am not to hot on private school either... I went to a private school that was very expensive and when we no longer had the $$$ and i had to go to public school i found myself behind the rest of the kids that had always been in public... I never learned my times tables... Not because i couldn't but because it was never taught to me... Private school had not taught it yet and once i moved to public it had already been taught...

Not found of American primary schooling at all...

IM SURPRISED WE ARE NOT ON PAGE 2 ALREADY WITH THE LENGTH OF THESE POSTS... =]

moon47usaco said:

My wife is from thailand... He daughter is still going to school there and let me tell you things are VERRY different in other countries... In her country there is no such thing as free schooling... There are less expensive schools in her town and the statement of what you pay for holds true globally... While they are not bad schools the ones that are more expensive have teachers who have more education themselves and of course the facilities are better... More computers, books, ect...

There is none of this DISTRICT selection that bothers me allot about schools here in America... My wife was shocked when she found out that a friend of hers here takes their kids miles away to another school when they live across the street from a school the they are OUT OF DISTRICT for... If there is room and you can afford to go to a school thats that...

The curriculum is also very different... From what i understand at the school (high school equ) my wife went to there are dedicated studies... You have your core classes language, math ect but there are buildings dedicated to certain studies that YUO may choose from... Cooking, electrician, engineering ect... And the high school system is split into two three year sections and from what i understand if you want after the first three year section you can choose to go to another school that is even more specialized so that you can continue to concentrate on what YOU want to learn...

I do not totally understand it myself but i like what i hear...

Plus most asian schools are uniformed and i am really in favor of that... Well i do not think that i would like it myself but seeing it from the outside you appreciate the benefits of it more so than when you are the one who is made to do it... I know it sucks to be told what to wear but it really does help keep a certain sense of order to school and strips away allot of prejudice that is involved with social dress... If all your class mates look like you, you are less prone to see the person sitting beside you and say "Oh great i have to sit next to that stupid goth girl"... It becomes more of "Oh this girl who sits next to me is pretty smart, maybe she can help me with my homework"... Or whatever you want to insert in that kind of situation...

That was winded... =]

Any way YES learning is allot different in other parts of the world... The examples i gave here are just of a few... =]



Most people that come here for our "BETTER" schools are seeking higher education... And we do have good colleges...
I am hesitant to bring my wife's daughter here as i am sickened by the primary schools system... But i do want her to get into school here as soon as possible so that she is comfortable here when it is time to go to college...

I am not to hot on private school either... I went to a private school that was very expensive and when we no longer had the $$$ and i had to go to public school i found myself behind the rest of the kids that had always been in public... I never learned my times tables... Not because i couldn't but because it was never taught to me... Private school had not taught it yet and once i moved to public it had already been taught...

Not found of American primary schooling at all...

IM SURPRISED WE ARE NOT ON PAGE 2 ALREADY WITH THE LENGTH OF THESE POSTS... =]

Click to expand...

Thanks for the different perspective- self directed learning in schools is much more favorable in my eyes, I'm a strong believer in the fact that when human curiosity drives you to knowledge you actually retain most of it. I will def. be looking more into the educational systems used in other countries with greater intelligence rates- shall be interesting..

I do agree, we do have many great great colleges in our country-- too bad every college doesn't fit into this category.

Also, I'm very surprised to hear about your experience with private school- I was in a private school from 1st till 6th grade. When I returned to the public school system for 7th grade I was 2 years ahead of them- LOL.. 7th and 8th grade at the public school was pretty much a repeat of 5th and 6th for me.. it was really fuckin' sad... then when I looked further, the amount of money the public school was spending per child per year was higher than we ever paid for private school! With further research, I found this was the case in most of the country..

Still being in the school system, i agree 100% (didn't actually finish the second page. I just figured i know exactly what you're saying since i think the same thing...have for a long long time, and i'm only just done w/high school).

I mean, it's a system taht perpetuates itself by fucking others over. Kinda like a religion that preaches celibacy. they live to make other people like them, and when the whole world is like them...we're fucked.

Anyways, great speach. The problem I've always seen with "taking action" is that by doing so you just buy into the system and continue to perpetuate it. (Did you say that?). So you can only fix it by not noticing it, and not noticing it allows it to flourish. but hey, life's a paradox induced by man's own damn arrogance. why do we have to keep questioning? Why do we keep having to be on top? What's wrong with not knowing things that don't help you live?


My biggest thing about this is that ...well, i just forgot. it's okay, it probablyt didn't belong here anyway, this is your rant.

Peace guys



(I just completed a similar circle in that paragraph.)

Woah man. that was pretty cool. I never thought of some of that stuff before.


coooool.

Thanx for reading. =)

Yes Very wise words Milf (lol Milf and wise words in same sentence ) i can totaly understand about this i was talking about ti just 2 days ago with one of my friends actualy, your right gettin a degree isnt now a guarantee of a job which is making a lot of ppl i know just go straight into work, they dont want to be "not earning" till they are 25, only to find out their hard gotten degree and qualitifications cant get them a job.
Jolly

TheJollyBrother said:

Yes Very wise words Milf (lol Milf and wise words in same sentence ) i can totaly understand about this i was talking about ti just 2 days ago with one of my friends actualy, your right gettin a degree isnt now a guarantee of a job which is making a lot of ppl i know just go straight into work, they dont want to be "not earning" till they are 25, only to find out their hard gotten degree and qualitifications cant get them a job.
Jolly

Click to expand...

Yup, a college education doesn't mean what it used to. There has to be a shift in how education is thought of- experience counts more than a sheet of paper, the 'real world' needs to adjust to that. Thanks for reading.