Despite much wringing of teeth and gnashing of hands about the decline in schooling in the United States, I have seen very little concrete comparison between then and now, whatever one means by “then.” In my small way, as a mere anecdote in a sea of troubles, I hereby offer an actual comparison. Permit me to preview the result: Much of the United States has sunk to the level of the lower ranks of the Third World.Read the rest here.
As an example of documented current practice in urban schools—I have seen similar from Detroit, Chicago, and Mississippi—here are a few emails sent to the New York Post by students of Manhattan’s Murry Bergtraum HS for Business Careers. These have been posted by various horrified writers, but I repeat them here in case the reader hasn’t seen them. They concern the students’ support for something called “Blended Learning,” in which one watches a video, answers a few questions, and gets credit. The Post had written a piece critical of same, putting the students into an uproar.
A junior wrote: “What do you get of giving false accusations im one of the students that has blended learning I had a course of English and I passed and and it helped a lot you’re a reported your support to get truth information other than starting rumors . . .”
Right out of Milton, that.
As usual, approach at your own risk. Brother Fred pulls no punches and doesn't care who is offended.
The trend had already begun when I was in school (graduated 1974). I would be in far worse shape had I not been a voracious reader. Sadly, I did not match that in mathematics or science though, at least, I make no pretense of knowing anything about them!
ReplyDeleteIn the latter half of the 1990's, I had to read reflections by novices in formation in a religious community, including persons with Master's Degrees and Doctorates. The grammar, spelling, and usage were such that I was often dumbfounded and, more than once, unable to decipher what they were trying to communicate.
I wondered how much worse the situation might be now. Fred has cleared up that mystery, to my great sadness.
The British education system is abysmal too. Some years ago I went into a book shop in London and asked the young assistant where to find Victor Hugo. She had no idea who he was!
ReplyDelete"sunk to ... the level of the Third World" ? much of the Third World is now here with us.
ReplyDeleteHaving read Fred's essay, I would agree with him that those of his (and my) generation have a legitimate contempt for those who have come after us.
ReplyDeleteI would remind Fred, and this audience, however, that it was Fred's (and my) generation that taught the ones for whom we now have contempt.
It is said that a chef or baker eats his mistakes, a doctor buries his, and a teacher graduates his.