How can education be improved? –@StealthAviator
I assume he meant education for grades 1-12. I wrote about this recently in “Shakespeare is Awful, Jefferson was a Rapist, and PI is Useless” http://bit.ly/oMh8Ry.
My basic assumption is that grades 1-12 are too standardized (higher test results for many schools result in more state funding) and not individualized enough.
For instance, both of my kids love drawing Manga comics. But there’s no way for them to do this in school. And after school they are buried in homework and then tired. So whatever skills they developed this summer when they were drawing a lot will start to fade.
The other thing is: most things we learn in grades 1-12 we have to relearn anyway. Or we forget. I asked one friend my age the other day, “who discovered electricity?” and he answered instantly: “Ben Franklin” because that is what we were taught in grade school. It happens to be the wrong answer. Anyone hear of William Gilbert in the 1600s?
So here’s how I would reform it: since we know grades 1-12 is just glorified babysitting so parents can work, why not hire a bunch of good moms (or dads) to watch over the kids while they play outside, read books, draw, and do whatever they want. Keep them out of harm, and guide them if they ask questions. Also let them play and learn on computers if they want.
And that’s it. Will save money, result in smarter kids, result in more active kids (less obesity), and result in more kids finding their passions instead of being killed by standardization.