Be Optimistic, Libertarians!
It is no secret that students in today’s world are much more herd-thinking and worried about being in the in crowd than ever before. Why is that? In the lecture of the week this week, a former educator explains how the public school system and “Outcome-Based Education” is one reason for collectivism, brainwashing, and general dunce-ity. An oldie, but a goodie, and more relevant than ever…
I have not posted much on the deliberate dumbing-down of children in America, because there are not many obvious sources on the matter. I tend to believe it is happening, though, as we see compliance and un-thinking at levels untouched in many respects by any other previous generation – especially taken in light of the more fluid dissemination of knowledge available to all of us on the internets. Of course, nationalism, groupthink, and other collectivist mindsets have had an easier time in other ways in years past, as evinced pretty clearly by the near unanimous support of FDR, Truman’s acts of Japanese Terror, etc., etc…
Reading my kindergartener’s progress report- the very first measure is “plays and works well with others”. In all – eight measures of social/emotional/behavioral development. Two measures of “fine motor skills”: Holds pencil correctly, Holds scissors correctly (there’s a correct way?). I hadn’t even stopped to ask what exactly they deemed the correct way? The skills he demonstrates are already beyond kindergartener’s progress expectancy for the whole year… and teacher is concerned because he isn’t finishing homework (he is clearly bored). This video just aggravates me with understanding the level of control wielded over how children are set up to “learn”, especially given the lack of options presented for progress beyond the current year’s “curriculum”. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting! Makes me want kids so I can see how they are treated. And because they are so cute, obv.