|
|
Post by jisp on Aug 16, 2015 14:47:47 GMT -5
There is a lot of food for thought in this well written and very thoughtful article. I strongly recommend that all parents with children who are college bound read it and think about it. It might not change how you parent or what choices your children make, but it will give you insight into some of how we ended up with the educational system we have and how that will impact future generations harpers.org/archive/2015/09/the-neoliberal-arts/?single=1link |
|
|
|
Post by healthy11 on Aug 17, 2015 7:52:39 GMT -5
This paragraph struck me:
"Instead of treating higher education as a commodity, we need to treat it as a right. Instead of seeing it in terms of market purposes, we need to see it once again in terms of intellectual and moral purposes. That means resurrecting one of the great achievements of postwar American society: high-quality, low- or no-cost mass public higher education. An end to the artificial scarcity of educational resources. An end to the idea that students must compete for the privilege of going to a decent college, and that they then must pay for it."
I agree that intellectual and moral development is valuable, but I'm sorry, but I don't think most U.S. public schools offer high-quality education at the elementary, middle, or high school levels, so I find it hard to believe public college education would be better.
|
|
|
|
Post by jisp on Aug 17, 2015 10:08:24 GMT -5
Part of the problem is that elementary, middle and high school education is all catering to the college admissions process as well. It is not focused on learning it is about meeting measurable goals and achievements.
|
|
|
|
Post by healthy11 on Aug 17, 2015 12:27:30 GMT -5
I realize there's no single answer to the dilemma, but I don't think schools should be expected to "do it all." To me, moral and intellectual development still has to begin and be emphasized at home. Honestly, I think many parents should also do more as far as preparing their children for "life," whether it's a young child who should be exposed to ABC's and books before preschool, or teens who should be able to see their own parents helping less fortunate/giving back to their communities in some way. I doubt volunteering in college is going to change many young adults, if they haven't seen value of doing that within their own families.
|
|
