In pursuit of the ubermensch who would extend the industrial revolution, the founders of the modern public schools favored certain, "useful" subjects over others. Briefly, the math nerd beat up the band geek. Many kids were told that the subjects they were most interested in were "useless" and wouldn't lead to gainful employment. Over many years, their productivity-minded teachers stifled their creativity. Along the way, all students (to a certain degree) were punished for making mistakes -- which often equates to being punished for being bold and creative.
A few thoughts on this subject:
- The industrial revolution is behind us. America is now dominated by a service industry and is even moving beyond that to an information industry. So why do we insist on the same old model of education?
- How much of this trend is related to the statism of public education? Are private and parochial schools subject to the same tendencies or have they evolved separately?
Source:
Sir Ken Robinson speaking at TED
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