[MD] A fine mess

[Andre Broersen]

Khoo:

It is this internal compass for Quality that is missing from the equation
and I thought both ZAMM and Lila highlighted that absence in the education
system today. Our bearings for Quality come outside the education system and
we have to reach into our direct experience with the world and the universe
in general to acheive a proper balance.
Where the intellect and its systems fails us, we make up for it with
commonsense.

Andre:

Good points Khoo, couldn't agree with you more. It seems to me that in both
the East and the West nowadays our children are growing up in a world their
are told cannot be trusted and we leave it to the educators to guide us.
Let me try to place what you say within a concrete context (if I
misinterpret please say so).
It's a bit like the grammar translation process employed (plus the rote
learning) here to learn a (living) language (call it GTP).Now keep on
substituting GTP with SOM.
Students are taught a language by first learning the rules of the language
(GTP).Countless textbooks, full of grammar rules...the 'underlying' form,
the classical way to learn a language/reality. At no point is any 'freedom'
given whereby the student is allowed to 'play' with words and sentences
learnt. No! The underlying structure (GTP) must be adhered to, without which
a proper understanding of the language/reality is not possible (and in fact
wrong).
Because this GTP is so difficult to comprehend (it truly is a completely
different language from the language it tries to describe, and it is so
complicated) students lose confidence during the process of formulating an
answer to a question I have asked. They not only go through an
English/Chinese  translation process and Chinese/English translation process
when formulating an answer. They also go through the whole process of
applying the GTP within the formulation of this answer to try to make it
understandable. In the end they simply give up...they are too confused about
what is possible and not. I have seen them, followed their eye movements,
going through extraordinary contortions and finally just saying 'Sorry. I do
not know'.
What I am trying to get at Khoo ( I liked your apprenticeship example
because I did one too and know exactly what you mean) where do our children
get their 'common sense' from? For me, this presupposes a fair degree of
'life experience'. I think that our educators would argue that they are
teaching (GTP/SOM) common sense...(unquestioned notions of the fundamental
basis of understanding upon which our society/reality rests)... because
'everybody knows or should know this 'basis'.
This GTP/SOM is not something 'natural'. It lies 'outside' of ourselves and
has to be learnt before you can play the game proper...and that is what our
education system is for..  .
Playful use of that which is experienced is something that I think is killed
in the socialisation process (or at least chained, molded into ' culturally
acceptable modes of expression') as a preparation for school and an
'adult' (SOM) life.

This SOM influence is just so big..even slicing up our lives in
'babyhood', 'childhood','adolesence' adulthood' etc etc 'schoolage',  middle
age' , old age' , different 'stages' of human development (even in Mozart's
time you were not considered an adult until you reached 'the age' of 35).

As the man asked 'Where do we go from here?' (Fish, Marillion).
Keep on feeding the Giant?

Also in this Khoo is of course my question to you: what is your
understanding of 'common sense'? As I seem to have a different
interpretation than your meaning.

For what it's worth.
Andre