Written on Friday, April 12, 2013 by Franklin D. Leupp, Sr.
In the early days of post-Soviet rule, thousands of schools in Russia had no heat, no books and no pencils. Teachers got no pay – only promises. And they still taught! To see young school students bundled up against the cold, wearing mittens in the classrooms was, pardon the pun, chilling. But they were being taught, and they were learning the essentials required for their futures.
There is a very old cliche that says “necessity is the mother of invention.” That is, if nothing else, the bottom line in post Soviet Russia. In visiting cities all across that vast country over past decades, I can’t help but compare the entire educational system of our two countries. Barrels of money are being spent in the United States on endless rat holes that really have nothing to do with “education.” Social issues seem to have replaced “learning” subjects that actually prepare students for the future. Sexuality has surpassed the three R’s. And a little of that goes a long way. In Russia, they found ways to educate without the continuing cascade of money thrown their way. It was actually a goal to see students grasp education, no matter the hindrances….To Read More….
My Take – I have commented on this in the past, but it still amazes me just how ignorant these kids are when they come out of high school. They can’t spell, they can’t write essays, they can’t read….or don’t read, they don’t have any real understanding of history and even though they are supposed to have had a number of years studying geography they don’t know where anything is. In England it isn’t any better.
A number of years ago they asked who Winston Churchill was. Forty five percent thought he was an astronaut, but they all believed global warming was going to destroy the Earth and mankind was responsible.
I posted an article just before this one regarding a teacher that created a school project that convinced the kids they should give up their Constitutional rights to be safe, which if there ever was a case of cognitive dissonance that is it. She had a Constitutional attorney discussing this with the kids in order to encourage “critical thinking”! What a load of horsepucky.
Ten year old children aren’t capable of that kind of mature thinking, and if there is any critical thinking the children need access to then let it be from their parents. This was a deliberate attempt at indoctrination, not education, and the teacher should be fired, the superintendent and the school board should be replaced if they condoned this and someone needs to look closely at the principle of that school.
For the money we pay these people we should be turning out the smartest kids in the world. As it is, they are turning out a substandard product. If they were manufacturing nuts and bolts the factories would reject their shipments. These people keep forgetting they work for us, not the other way around. A good firing would help to get their heads on right. Actually a lot of firings would be better. Vouchers and competition is the answer, and getting rid of the teacher's unions.
My Take – I have commented on this in the past, but it still amazes me just how ignorant these kids are when they come out of high school. They can’t spell, they can’t write essays, they can’t read….or don’t read, they don’t have any real understanding of history and even though they are supposed to have had a number of years studying geography they don’t know where anything is. In England it isn’t any better.
A number of years ago they asked who Winston Churchill was. Forty five percent thought he was an astronaut, but they all believed global warming was going to destroy the Earth and mankind was responsible.
I posted an article just before this one regarding a teacher that created a school project that convinced the kids they should give up their Constitutional rights to be safe, which if there ever was a case of cognitive dissonance that is it. She had a Constitutional attorney discussing this with the kids in order to encourage “critical thinking”! What a load of horsepucky.
Ten year old children aren’t capable of that kind of mature thinking, and if there is any critical thinking the children need access to then let it be from their parents. This was a deliberate attempt at indoctrination, not education, and the teacher should be fired, the superintendent and the school board should be replaced if they condoned this and someone needs to look closely at the principle of that school.
For the money we pay these people we should be turning out the smartest kids in the world. As it is, they are turning out a substandard product. If they were manufacturing nuts and bolts the factories would reject their shipments. These people keep forgetting they work for us, not the other way around. A good firing would help to get their heads on right. Actually a lot of firings would be better. Vouchers and competition is the answer, and getting rid of the teacher's unions.
No comments:
Post a Comment