Hang on, this is a longer one. I’ve seen an Internet graphic meme going around recently that lists several items that the person spreading the meme never learned in high school. The items listed are things like filling out one’s tax forms, coming up with a household budget, voting(!), etc. The final line in this meme is something about being really glad that they learned the pythagorean theorem instead, implying that what they learned in school was useless nonsense. I’ll save ranting about the strict emphasis that is being placed on standardized testing and common curricula (which, by the way, I’m not all together against), and jump right into the utter stupidity this meme represents. First of all, if you haven’t leaned how to vote or balance your checkbook by the time you reach high school you have a severe learning disability and should seek special treatment (I’m serious. I don’t mean this as a joke). Most of the skills needed to do the things that the meme writer describes are indeed taught in grade school or taught at an earlier stage at home. Next, learning concepts like the pythagorean theorem has such far reaching effects that, even if you never apply the actual formula that is the result of the theorem, the logic skills that come with learning such things are indispensable for life in the modern world. And I don’t mean just mathematical concepts either. I’m referring to concepts that come from reading literature, poetry, history, civics (voting!), and economics. Concepts that come from attempting to do art, music, writing, learning a foreign language, or public speaking. By the way, if one understands how to apply the pythagorean theorem, I would guarantee that one could use those same mental skills to figure out how to fill out one’s tax forms or balance one’s checkbook. Over all, what this meme suggests, is that somehow the schools haven’t taught the meme writer what he/she needs in order to function properly in society and that this is the root of their problems. In other words, high school was a complete waste of time for the meme writer. High school curricula may not be for everyone and there are people who are autodidacts. However, for most people, high school is a good opportunity to expose oneself to a wide range of concepts. Once exposed, one can then pluck those concepts that seem most personally important. Different people will come away with different concepts that they can and will use, but at least they will have gotten a small taste of what is out there. Another thing that is implied by this meme is that it is the school’s responsibility to teach tool skills. While schools should teach some tool skills, I believe it is the job of the schools to help people learn how to think. There is a need for trade schools and schools to teach special specific skills, but there is also a need for schools that guide people along their paths on the way to becoming fully formed human beings that can function and live in society. I’m not just referring to grade schools and high schools here, I’m including higher educational institutions as well. There is an alarming trend in higher education to emphasize trade school-like curricula. This is wrong headed and reflects the same ideas put forth in the meme under discussion. There is much more in this meme that truly disgusts me, but I’m sure by now I’ve already exceeded everyone’s attention spans.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:32:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015