A Little Knowledge
Steve Rankin from Free Citizen posts an eight grade test from Salinas, Kansas dating back to 1895. I hope everyone does better than I did!
This illustrates how atrocious modern education is, and how we are all ``Children Left Behind``. Liberalism claims to champion intellect and understanding, yet ultimately fosters ignorance. Americans have become increasingly ignorant, thanks to public schools, the NEA, and political correctness. Why is that? Is it merely an unconscious byproduct of the liberal belief in equality of outcome, or is it something more sinister? I favor the latter assumption; I believe that many on the left want an ignorant populace. There is nobody more elitist, more contemptuous of the common man than the liberal. Liberals believe they are the anointed class, and that they should be ruling society because of their superior intellects. It is my belief that the left wants to dumb-down America so that they can inculcate their own ideas and beliefs. The more ignorant people are, the easier they are to dominate. I suspect many liberals understand this, and approve.
This test proves that children can learn enormous amounts in 8 years, and that we don`t need smaller classes, nor year-round education to teach our children. This test shows that it CAN be done with less money, no federal standards or involvement of any kind, and no education institutionalism i.e. teachers unions. If it could be done by schools in 1895 with little money, why can`t we fix our problems now?
The answers are few and simple; we must kick political and social engineering out of our schools, reinstitute discipline, and foster respect for learning, rather than relying on new-age psychology and hip educrat theories. In short, we must return to basics! We need to make children learn to read and write, learn history and geography, learn grammar and mathematics. Kids should not be participating in Earth Day, or Save The Whales Day, or running mock U.N.`s. If they want to do these things when they grow up, fine! Grammar school is neither the time, nor the place for this; children are in grammar school to learn grammar, learn the fundamentals. This test proves that it used to be done, and quite well.
But then, if we fix the problems with our education systems, who will vote for the Democrats?
This illustrates how atrocious modern education is, and how we are all ``Children Left Behind``. Liberalism claims to champion intellect and understanding, yet ultimately fosters ignorance. Americans have become increasingly ignorant, thanks to public schools, the NEA, and political correctness. Why is that? Is it merely an unconscious byproduct of the liberal belief in equality of outcome, or is it something more sinister? I favor the latter assumption; I believe that many on the left want an ignorant populace. There is nobody more elitist, more contemptuous of the common man than the liberal. Liberals believe they are the anointed class, and that they should be ruling society because of their superior intellects. It is my belief that the left wants to dumb-down America so that they can inculcate their own ideas and beliefs. The more ignorant people are, the easier they are to dominate. I suspect many liberals understand this, and approve.
This test proves that children can learn enormous amounts in 8 years, and that we don`t need smaller classes, nor year-round education to teach our children. This test shows that it CAN be done with less money, no federal standards or involvement of any kind, and no education institutionalism i.e. teachers unions. If it could be done by schools in 1895 with little money, why can`t we fix our problems now?
The answers are few and simple; we must kick political and social engineering out of our schools, reinstitute discipline, and foster respect for learning, rather than relying on new-age psychology and hip educrat theories. In short, we must return to basics! We need to make children learn to read and write, learn history and geography, learn grammar and mathematics. Kids should not be participating in Earth Day, or Save The Whales Day, or running mock U.N.`s. If they want to do these things when they grow up, fine! Grammar school is neither the time, nor the place for this; children are in grammar school to learn grammar, learn the fundamentals. This test proves that it used to be done, and quite well.
But then, if we fix the problems with our education systems, who will vote for the Democrats?
posted by Timothy Birdnow | 3:57 PM
2 Comments:
I didn't go to the link you provided, but I've seen the Kansas test before. There was a time in this country when students had to take such tests; those who didn't achieve a high enough score received a certificate of completion.
Yes, we need a return to the basics! Let's reinstate McGuffey Readers, the Blue-Backed Speller, and Warriner's English--Strunk and White too. Stephen King speaks highly of Warriner's; now it's out of print. The closest I've found is A Beka's Grammar, available @
www.abeka.com
I guess that you can tell I'm a language arts teacher. I've bailed on schools now and teach groups of homeschoolers.
The solution to our education problems in a decent curriculum which requires learning some facts. Critical thinking will come in time, with a good teacher as the leader. Do we have good teachers now? Qualified doesn't necessarily guarantee the ability to teach the material.
Hi AOW!
You said;
Do we have good teachers now? Qualified doesn't necessarily guarantee the ability to teach the material.
I agree wholeheartedly. When it became obvious to me that I wasn`t going to get a cushy government job after I graduated from college, I briefly pursued a Missouri Teaching Certificate. I didn`t last long in the program, because so much of it was useless, made up psychobabble. It was the Seinfeld of certification; all about nothing. I hated it, so I never finished.
The slower minds in those classes were undoubtedly the ones who stuck it out and became teachers; they found the education courses challenging while the sharper people thought them empty. The most amazing aspect of this is that, at least in Missouri, they discourage potential teachers from actually learning about anything they may teach; they prefer a teacher to major in education only. How can someone teach, say, history whena they think Columbus proved the world was round, or that Thanksgiving was the pilgrims giving thanks to the Indians?
It`s little wonder the educational system is in ruins.
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