Is Young so naïve as to believe in this farrago? Or is he a cynic, setting fire to straw men? Arse or arsonist, it makes no difference. “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake”. Take one trite example: “According to the postmodernist gospel, [there isn’t one, that’s the whole point] all knowledge is “socially constructed” [try finding an example that isn’t] and no one point of view is more valid than any another [sic] [also, I think he means ‘more sound’ if you want to be logical about it].” Anyway, forget such quibbles. Postmodernism was a cul-de-sac. I’m a metamodernist – with a love of relevant subject knowledge, a love of critical thinking skills, and a teacher’s contempt for false dichotomies. It’s easy enough to unpick Young’s wilful ignorance/deceit. But it’s tedious. I mean, what’s the point? The empirical, falsifiable evidence is out there for those with an interest in reading [it]. And I don’t mean PISA (e.g., cf. Professor Svend Kreiner’s research at the Department of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen). Is the foundation under PISA solid? A critical look at the scaling model underlying international comparisons of student attainment. https://ifsv.sund.ku.dk/biostat/biostat_annualreport/images/c/ca/ResearchReport-2011-1.pdf Is there any evidence that could change Young’s ideological prejudices? From the crassness of his polemic, I would say not. Watching neoliberals annex education is like watching Hitler invading Russia. “Keep coming, my darling… Keep coming…” Darlingrad (with apogees for neoliberals, and apologies to Stalingrad) Encircle her with compliments; shell her with affections; tunnel by moonlight to the rubble of her heart. Watch the walls of her mind collapse. But when you break in it’s a war of the rats and a long starvation – Love… has expanse…
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 13:17:20 +0000