Dumbing down education?

Question

http://www.24dash.com/news/Education/2007-07-31-Social-engineering-dumbing-down-education

I am in the middle of a science degree, and I am noticing as I try to choose my next step the pure science courses are disappearing, and being replaced by courses with a political and social agenda, labelled as 'science in context' and such like. I'm struggling to stick to the pure science, it's like trying to hold onto the last stick as it sinks in the quick-mud.

Worse than this, is that this is happening in schools. This means that, again, if we want our children to actually learn proper subjects in depth, we have to teach it ourselves at home.

In a few generations, the knowledge will be lost, and we will have a nation of people who are unable to think deeply, but skim and debate very well.

Just like the true understanding of astrology was lost, and certain languages are forgotten.

What can we do to stop government intereference?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

I agree with all you say, except for "In a few generations, the knowledge will be lost ..."

It already has.

Answer 3

I know nothing about science except this, that science has all the answers to our problems of good health and well-being.  In spite of what the Luddites think.

I hope you pass your degree and get a 1st - we need all the scientists we can get.  

Go-Go-Go!

As to what can be done about government interference - perhaps we should go back in time and see just how scientists of the past dealt with this problem.

History of Science and Religion by Syed Kamran MirzaThat is, I did not find Islamic science, Christian Science or any Hindu science. I have written many times that “No religion can claim science its property. ...

http://www.mukto-mona.com/Articles/skm/h...

If no religion can claim science as it's own, then it seems more than likely that there are bone-heads within the Labour Party who think they can instead claim science from a political point of view.

Just how narrow is that?  From what you've said, I'm of the opinion that the UK.gov wants to just brainwash everyone.

Well, it's not working, and you seem totally focused on the idea of not allowing Big Brother to take control of your mind.

Good fer yew!

Is this the Labour future?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ub...

Answer 4

America are creating this situation in their own country and we are adopting their policy like we did over smoking.Like Rome in the past they are trying to stop progress,the same way the religious institutions have always done.America has ridiculed the greatest brain in science and it is only now that he is being touted as a greater mind than Einstein,which is fact.yes we are being dumbed down and America is the cause and the great man is TESLA.As for America not being the cause you forget your history.MRS THATCHER ONCE SAID ...WHY INVEST IN SCIENCE WHEN WE CAN BUY TECHNOLOGY OFF OUR FRIENDS ...THE AMERICANS.THIS IS THE START OF THE DOWNFALL.PEOPLE LIKE THATCHER ARE TO BLAME FOR LISTENING TO AMERICAN CON MEN.STICK TO SCIENCE PLEASE,NOT POLITICS.

Answer 5

Astrology is hocus pocus.    If that is your idea of pure science there is cause for despair.    The only pure science is mathematics, and you, surely, know the mathematicians toast: "Here's to pure mathematics, may it never be of use to anyone!"

Answer 6

The amount of 'useless' degrees is astounding, this government just wants to see passes, alas a lot of them are not backed up with any knowledge.

Some people who I have employed (they have had a media degree) found it hard to actually write coherent sentences & relied on text speak!

Get rid of new labour would be a good start.

Answer 7

Your point is automatically invalidated by presuming there was ever any 'true understanding of astrology', as no clear-thinking, rational scientist would dream of regarding it as anything other than superstitious bunk.

EDIT: if, by 'a population of people like Medium Dave', you mean a population of people holding an MSc, then I'd say that would be no bad thing for science...

If you wish to give Astrology a veneer of scientific merit, please bear in mind that you must obey scientific method; ie, any observations must be able to be reproduced in controlled conditions. That said - if you have any clear, demonstrable, scientific evidence that the passage of various planetary bodies either causes or reflects any aspect of human behaviour, I'd certainly give it fair consideration.

EDIT II: Uxorious, your comment amounts to nothing. Ok, people whose education prepared them for GCSEs didn't do well at old O-levels - so what? Fact is, the tests have changed, the skills have changed, and the demands on the students have changed; for all the old-timers like to bang on about modern kids not doing very well at O-levels, it should be noted that old O-level students fair quite poorly on modern GCSEs.

Different times, different tests, so your comparison is utterly invalid.

Answer 8

Just as described in the fictional analogy in George Orwell's works. Cheap, obedient and loyal labour and consumers is what the ruling elite strive to perfect. Domesticated sheep is symbolic of the ideal solution. d**k Cheney hunts the wild bighorn sheep in his home state. Some leaders see a world populated predators and prey. With that viewpoint, those who identify with predators, have only one purpose in life. Yikes!

Answer 9

"Science in context", now that is funny, who decides what the proper context is, probably not anyone who knows anything about science.

Dumbing down education makes sense, if people are ignorant and uneducated, the government can control and tell them what they want them to believe.  Just remember which party controls the teachers unions in the U.S. and you will really begin to understand.

In the dark ages only one or two people in a town were educated, the King's representative and the Catholic Priest, it was easier to control the people that way. I think in the future they will only want a few people per city educated for the same reason (and remember, the Democrats are always the ones on here that are saying that they are the smart ones, so those few educated people in control will be a few rich Liberals).

Most problems (whether science, economic, public policy, etc) are difficult (and take time) to explain.  If people are dumb, distracted and are not equipped with the tools to analyze them, they will only listen to sound bites, and believe anything they hear.

Answer 10

Yes, education is unfortunately being dumbed down for a number of reasons - from political reasons to show that more students are achieving higher grades, to financial reasons i.e. to increase university enrollment, which improves their funding position.

Just look at some of the degrees on offer today, compared to what was on offer 20-30 years ago - we now have less hardcore engineering, maths and physics degrees, and more social science, and management degrees (surf management, hairdressing management, etc) - it's just a joke.

We now have to import engineer/science talent from the East, like the states.