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Rant about education
Oct. 22nd, 2006 11:58 pmI've been watching these political things on TV lately and they're talking about how the young generation right now has been overlooked and missed out on a good education because our education system is doing so poorly.
We know the American stereotype, and I see plenty of it. Fat, stupid, arrogant with entitlement issues. I agree with this, and I struggle NOT to be this, though I don't think the fat thing is ever going away, and I've come to terms with that, but the others I am still working on avoiding constantly. But is this what is making us like we are, our education system? Are people getting more stupid because they don't get an education? One show I watched a few days ago said something to the affect of 80% of Americans don't read books, and this is where we're failing ourselves, because reading good literature (and lets not even discuss non-fiction), though isn't textbook factual, is a way of becoming more intelligent. I agree, it is a way of becoming cultured and learning world views and vocabulary, not to mention about people, their feelings, personalities and history. I am not a big reader as I have some reading deficiencies and always have and it takes me a very long time, but I sometimes make myself read things because I want to be more knowledgeable, and I want to be cultured. I want to be able to say "yes I read that". I was lucky enough to go to a private school that had us read the classics and so I am lucky enough to say that I DID read a lot of the classics, and I didn't realize that was so strange at the time until I left that bubble. Even at my predominantly rich private small liberal arts college I had read more than a lot of my fellow students because of my school, and then I realized how lucky I had been.
The intellectual are no longer looked up to by most Americans, but instead looked at with scorn like they are out to get them or showing off or trying to prove something you believe wrong. I find this really disturbing. I mean, isn't this why so many people liked George Bush? He reminded them of themselves, he didn't use big words, he wasn't a know-it-all and he didn't quote literature or experts. I do feel the problem has become the entitlement factor. People no longer enjoy learning and it is no longer the most important thing. The most important thing is to make money and to be able to buy things, things to make you happier, things to show you're important. It's hip to be nouveau riche. This is what the media tells us everyday, we're lacking if we don't have this and this and that. People get scared about the raising of taxes, taxes that SHOULD be going into things that come back to them, like better education or health care, instead they horde it, they want to keep it because they need more things and they have so little. And yes, it is just my political stance, but I think the economy does better when peoples basic necessities are taken care of FOR them, because despite the best of intentions, a free market and a boot-strap philosophy leaves millions of people in the cold, and it's about the people for me.
My schooling and my family were always big on making learning fun, and I ate it up. I still enjoy watching A&E, PBS and the History Channel, and adore Cable In The Classroom. This feels like time well spent to me, and it's fascinating. Why don't other people find this fascinating? I am reminded of the Smells Like Teen Spirit lyric "Come on now, entertain me!". People want to zone out, you can't zone out in school. You can be a cubicle monkey and zone out, but it's harder in school. This is why people want to see these non substance fluff movies where they can pop Ju-Ju Beans and popcorn and zone out and no one will ask them a year from now if they saw such-and-such and be upset if they haven't, they'll forget it utterly and forever. They don't want to think, ignorance is bliss afterall. Or perhaps it is the entitlement feeling. "I'm not getting paid for this, why should I go to school?", or "school isn't fun, I don't enjoy taking tests and having to study, and since you aren't paying me, I won't do it"...people want to graduate as fast as they can so they can get on to the money making. This is why it makes people anxious when I tell them that I have a degree in philosophy and that I am not sure what I am going to do. Schooling is to get trained so you can MAKE MORE MONEY, it's not about, (what you say?) learning just to be educated. My parents just wanted me to have a degree, what it was in they were not so picky about.
I admit part of my want for a masters degree is to feel smarter, to say "I am not just someone who wants to hang something on my wall so I can get more money", I did it because I enjoy learning, I enjoy writing. I want something that says I am smarter than average (even if it's not true), or at least care about education more. I think it is sad that the general public has lost the desire and the enjoyment that comes from learning something new.
We know the American stereotype, and I see plenty of it. Fat, stupid, arrogant with entitlement issues. I agree with this, and I struggle NOT to be this, though I don't think the fat thing is ever going away, and I've come to terms with that, but the others I am still working on avoiding constantly. But is this what is making us like we are, our education system? Are people getting more stupid because they don't get an education? One show I watched a few days ago said something to the affect of 80% of Americans don't read books, and this is where we're failing ourselves, because reading good literature (and lets not even discuss non-fiction), though isn't textbook factual, is a way of becoming more intelligent. I agree, it is a way of becoming cultured and learning world views and vocabulary, not to mention about people, their feelings, personalities and history. I am not a big reader as I have some reading deficiencies and always have and it takes me a very long time, but I sometimes make myself read things because I want to be more knowledgeable, and I want to be cultured. I want to be able to say "yes I read that". I was lucky enough to go to a private school that had us read the classics and so I am lucky enough to say that I DID read a lot of the classics, and I didn't realize that was so strange at the time until I left that bubble. Even at my predominantly rich private small liberal arts college I had read more than a lot of my fellow students because of my school, and then I realized how lucky I had been.
The intellectual are no longer looked up to by most Americans, but instead looked at with scorn like they are out to get them or showing off or trying to prove something you believe wrong. I find this really disturbing. I mean, isn't this why so many people liked George Bush? He reminded them of themselves, he didn't use big words, he wasn't a know-it-all and he didn't quote literature or experts. I do feel the problem has become the entitlement factor. People no longer enjoy learning and it is no longer the most important thing. The most important thing is to make money and to be able to buy things, things to make you happier, things to show you're important. It's hip to be nouveau riche. This is what the media tells us everyday, we're lacking if we don't have this and this and that. People get scared about the raising of taxes, taxes that SHOULD be going into things that come back to them, like better education or health care, instead they horde it, they want to keep it because they need more things and they have so little. And yes, it is just my political stance, but I think the economy does better when peoples basic necessities are taken care of FOR them, because despite the best of intentions, a free market and a boot-strap philosophy leaves millions of people in the cold, and it's about the people for me.
My schooling and my family were always big on making learning fun, and I ate it up. I still enjoy watching A&E, PBS and the History Channel, and adore Cable In The Classroom. This feels like time well spent to me, and it's fascinating. Why don't other people find this fascinating? I am reminded of the Smells Like Teen Spirit lyric "Come on now, entertain me!". People want to zone out, you can't zone out in school. You can be a cubicle monkey and zone out, but it's harder in school. This is why people want to see these non substance fluff movies where they can pop Ju-Ju Beans and popcorn and zone out and no one will ask them a year from now if they saw such-and-such and be upset if they haven't, they'll forget it utterly and forever. They don't want to think, ignorance is bliss afterall. Or perhaps it is the entitlement feeling. "I'm not getting paid for this, why should I go to school?", or "school isn't fun, I don't enjoy taking tests and having to study, and since you aren't paying me, I won't do it"...people want to graduate as fast as they can so they can get on to the money making. This is why it makes people anxious when I tell them that I have a degree in philosophy and that I am not sure what I am going to do. Schooling is to get trained so you can MAKE MORE MONEY, it's not about, (what you say?) learning just to be educated. My parents just wanted me to have a degree, what it was in they were not so picky about.
I admit part of my want for a masters degree is to feel smarter, to say "I am not just someone who wants to hang something on my wall so I can get more money", I did it because I enjoy learning, I enjoy writing. I want something that says I am smarter than average (even if it's not true), or at least care about education more. I think it is sad that the general public has lost the desire and the enjoyment that comes from learning something new.
