Re: [MATHEDCC] What's wrong with education anyway?

Vern Kays (vkays@RICHLAND.CC.IL.US)
Sun, 24 Oct 1999 16:42:58 -0500

One of our considerations must be how has the culture changed and what is
its impact. There has been three issues in higher education in particular
that are at many levels conflicting: Education for democracy and values,
(our earliest mission), Education for Social Meaning or educational
opportunity, (somewhat in the early 20th but mostly after the 1950's), and
Social Efficiency (Meritocracy and vocational). Translating a little, in
our early society prior to 1850's there was little need for education as we
see it today. Education was for religious values primarily. As the more
diverse population moved to the US the common school movement was developed
to meet the democracy/values needs. In our current mythology about
education we hold a belief that if you work hard you will gain more
opportunity through education but there is a competing belief in access or
social opportunity (social promotion vs retention). Finally, Social
Efficiency follows the economic model of the US. We are all in competition
for the educational goods that will provide for individual benefits. It is
not what we know but what we can get, certification a degree has become the
key to success. Early in the century it was a HS degree, now it is the BA
degree and from what school.

It is the Social Efficiency or individual benefit that has taken over more
so than the other two. We pay lip service to the other two.

But many of the complaints have come from the student corrrectly percieving
that knowledge is not the key. Winning is.

The unstated issue of the standards fight is to me, "Who do we teach to,
the elite and let the others take the vocational route? or do we learn to
teach to the social good of all combining the issues of social opportunity
and democracy.

Even the attempts by government to increase access have failed because
those with a vested interest in maintaining the vertical separation of
Higher Ed. continue to pervert the roles of state and federal assistance.

Another way to look at some of the changes that have and have not taken
place, have more to do with the adage "it is ok for others but not my kid.".

For more information two suggestions. One follow the money; and two become
more informed about the larger issues in education not just our little
world. It is easy to be critical and deny what is happening if we do not
look for the larger issues as well as the local - individual school issues.

Watch carefully how publishers are responding to the need for continued
income streams as the technology and the mythology of the society changes.

One last vent - We pay lip service to standards (whatever that is) but when
we are asked to produce evidence of our product will we produce evidence of
learning or at test score or simply a Grade?

Respectfully,

Vern Kays

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