[arachne] Re: Off topic? Re: Re: How to fix this puter?

Arachne at FreeLists---The Arachne Fan Club!

On Sun, 24 May 2009 17:01:07 -0400, L.D. Best wrote:

> The job of the school is to teach the students how to think, how to use
> reference materials, and how to remain familiar with the area in which
> they want to work.  (No one can know everything; the secret is knowing
> where to *find* everything.)

I wish it were so.

> The job of the school is ****NOT**** to teach the students how to pass
> exams!!!!!!!!!!11

I think you are talking about YOUR definition of the the job of the
school. And mine also.

But in real life, their job definition isn't so. As you went on to
explain to me.

> "Teaching to the exam" is what has pretty much destroyed education.  The
> students can't go to the next grade/graduate unless they pass a certain
> exam.   It doesn't matter if the student is even semi-competent in the
> subjects that are supposed to be taught ... what matter is ONLY that
> they pass the exam.

EXACTLY! And as long as the students can parrot the answers required,
they will pass, regardless of whether they understand what they are
saying or not.

>  And now, more and more, teachers are being forced
> to teach almost exclusively the exam ... because if the kids don't pass
> the teacher gets fired!

Yup! And that divides the class into two groups: those who have a chance
of passing the exams, and hence get all the attention of the teacher,
and those who don't have a chance, often because they didn't get enough
attention from the teachers when they needed it in their earlier grades.

> The idea of educating the children so they reach a certain level of
> competency and self-assurance got thrown out the window, with the Bush
> Admin nailing the shutters and plywood over them so no sunlight can get
> back in.  And, sad to say, right now no one has the funds, energy or
> motivation to reverse that "trend" because everyone is too damn busy
> trying to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies.

Yup! But you can't blame the Bush Admin totally because it is happening
in UK and Australia, probably in most of the so-called Western world.

> And     this      is
>  a     soapbox
> I     will  continue
> to     stand
> upon ............
> Because it may be one of the most important things in our futures.

Yeah, but who is going to listen to a couple of old fogies who are well
past their use-by date?

With luck we'll be dead and gone before it all collapses.

Or is it happening already?

    Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
    and remember what peace there may be in silence.
        "Desiderata", Max Ehrmann, copyright 1952.

   ,-./\
  /     \ From Greg Mayman, in beautiful Adelaide, South Australia
  \_,-*_/   "Queen City of The South"  35d 01'44"S  138d 32'13"E
       v

                  Arachne at FreeLists                  
-- Arachne, The Premier GPL Web Browser/Suite for DOS --

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