Scary Statistics?

Question

Discuss.

http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-change-will-never-happen.html

Answer 1

No  Real Numbers! this is actually pretty much the way everyone is . Or the majority anyway. If it doesn't concern me I don't care that is the prevailing attitude .. Mostly I think they didn't want to be Bothered with anything difficult

Answer 2

Welcome to the results of "No Child Left ehind" and similar efforts that have been deplorably successful in destroying our educational system.

As an aside--fortunately, the poster is off base about the FISA bill, for which we should all be grateful. The bill does not give Bush what he's been demanding  for 6 years--authority to spy on us without having to be accountible. Any sureillance must be approved or reviewed by the FISA court.  Granted, the Democrats threw bush a face-saving crumb by letting the telecoms off the hook--but that' really is a minor matter.

Back to the statistics.  When pubic education began in this country---at the initiative of Thomas Jefferson 200 years ago--its primary propose was to produce a literate citizenry taught to understand and participate actively in the public life o fthe nation.  "Job skills" were purely secondary--in fact, considered merely a useful side benefit resulting from knowledge of reading, writing, and mathematics.

Over time, as our society became more technical, ot her things were added.  And these were essentially work oriented--everything from business writing skills to advanced engineering.   But these things were ADDED, they did not replace the basic purpose of education.

In the last few decades--and especially the last thirty years since the rise of the "neoconservative" movement, our schools have been all but stripped of their original purpose.  

What do we have today?  For the first time in our history, via Bush's "No Child Left Behind Act" the federal government can dictate the content and curriculum inlocal schools.  Not who can attend those schools--but what those schools can teach.

I don't want to "Bush -bash" here --this is simply the culmination of a long campaign by neoconservatives to insinuate their ideology into our nations classrooms.

And what have hey given us?  "TEsts" --endless multiple choice tests that have reduced our public schools to nothing more than an endless round of Trivia Pursuit.

But--things are not so bleak as they might be.  I don't disagree with the poster.-- or you; it is scary. But I've been heartened by two tings.  Look at the consistent pattern of polls an delection results over the last few years.: despite everything, the American people are rejecting the attempts to undermine our freedom and the people behind it. Not as much or as strongly as they should--but they are not giving up the core of what makes this country what it is.

The other is the Internet. In and of itself it's only a tool--but on a thousand forums--including this one--people, especially young people--are asking questions that are not being encouraged in school.   I've seen and answered hundreds of questions about the Constitution, political economy, and oter topics over the last few years--mostly from young people who are voluntarily filling the gaps left in their education.  

Even more important--we are seeing a rebirth of the "polis"--the term is from the ancient Athenian democracy and means the body of citizens who meet, discuss, and decide public affairs.  That was dying in America andthe West generally.  Now we are seeing it reborn and rejuvenated, and with the resources of the Internet at our fingertips, potentially many times as powerful as the public discourse has ever been inhuman history.

Will these things save us? 5 years ago I wasn't very hopeful. Now--I am. Time will tell.

Answer 3

You can only be scared by things that you allow to scare you.

There is no such thing as a boogey man.  It is time you grew up and learned that.