Men (and for that matter, women) are not created equal ..... thank God, but
the trouble is that we live in a society so pussified, it can't face up to
the fact.
Why ?
Because it regards difference in a negative, hierarchical way - inter-twined
as it was historically, with class, race and gender discrimination.
Therefore, difference must be denied.
In endeavouring to counter negative discrimination, the
politically-correct/naive have succeeded only in eliminating qualitative
discrimination - a fundamental part of the education system.
Not everybody's academic - so why not sift them what is from them who ain't,
which avails the non-academically inclined of more vocational education.
This be the reason that we're falling at the first hurdle - and why kids are
entering secondary education without elementary competency in the three R's.
Back to rote, I say.
Nothing wrong with learning your tables - it's the easiest way of
programming memory.
Seems common sense is anything but, in education.
I mean, the very idea of leaving your kids' education to the sort of people
who end up teachers!
> > What about the kids it's failing ? - not least the bright ones who are
> never
> > challenged. Things need to be turned around - Britain's becoming the
> > dunce of Europe.
> If it's any consolation, from my direct observations, I would say that we
> are also breeding a society of mouth-breathing morons in Canada, the USA,
> Germany and Switzerland. Same philosophy... the grades for which I busted
my
> ass, even as recently as in the 1980s, are now given away to provide
> everyone with a touchy-feely, "I'm ok and so are you" sensation. :-)
> Stephen