[MD] The Academy is Evil! Here's what I'd do instead...

[John Carl]

Greetings Arlo,


> [Arlo]
>
> At present, parents have that ability to send their children (and adult
> students can make their own decisions) about which University or college to
> attend. Given this, I don't see your point about how if parents had the
> same
> "choice" at the K-12 level, the problems you mention would be solved.
>
>
John:

A wider spectrum of choice at the k12 level would have a huge impact upon
colleges because it would have a huge impact upon the students attending.
State-mandated and sponsored education has more of a "cookie cutter" effect
upon the young malleable minds than it does upon the older kids who have
already been stamped by a certain mentality.  John Gatto makes this point
quite well in _Dumbing us Down_

Arlo:


> For example, if its "religious integration", there are many, many religious
> colleges and universities you could send your kids to. Do you feel these
> institutions are more "flexible" or open to evolving ideas than
> non-religious
> universities?
>
>
John:

Well, no.  But that's beside the point.  It's not just the content of an
educational system that matter, but the intent.  The nurturing of creativity
and exploration.  Again, Gatto's point is that our k12 system evolved to
meet the needs of factorys and industries, which as time has marched on, is
no longer the most appropriate kind of training we need.  Our only hope for
the future lies in our creative strengths, not our ability to conform to
authority and obey the whistles and bells.



[Arlo]
> Setting K-12 aside for the moment, there are plenty of art schools,
> vocational
> schools, all kinds of alternatives out there to the university. Do you
> think we
> need more?
>
>
John:

We need more orientation toward those alternatives, is my thinking.  And
also more training in ecological wholeness.  Like I said, I don't think the
main problem is at the college level, I think it's when the student is just
starting out that we need more variety of educational styles to meet the
needs of the variety of human needs.

One very important "for instance" is the way we usually fail to give much
heed to special needs students -  a euphemism usually for mentally or
physically handicapped, but I'm talking about the other end of the
spectrum.  Very bright children have far different needs from average
students and if these could be properly met, who knows what kind of
potential might be tapped for the future?  I realize this is done somewhat
and in some places, but much, much more could be done in this area.

Arlo:


> What you seem to be suggesting, in fact, is separating out vocational and
> art
> schools from the Academy. I've long argued the reverse is true (leaving
> aside
> Crawford's- and Pirsig's- notion that the problem IS the divorce of
> vocation
> from art), that students entering these fields should be given the same
> broad
> exposure to knowledge that the University provides. There is no reason why
> our
> future carpenters should be denied courses in literature, history, poetry,
> astronomy, philosophy, etc.
>
>
John:

Yes, I agree with you there.  Like I've mentioned before, I feel personally
I got a lot out of seven years of community college, and it was precisely
because I got a chance to take courses in all those things you mention, and
more.  I'm a big fan of life-long learning, and the California Community
College system is one of the best in the nation for offering, very cheaply,
the opportunity to take courses part time or nights.


> [Arlo]
> What change would you suggest? Free tuition such as the "commie" European
> model? Tuition forgiveness for entering certain fields? Scaling tuition to
> be a
> certain percentage of income?
>
>
Well as I said, the Community college is practically free.  But I mentioned
to dmb that I think it'd be interesting to experiment with a learning
Universe-ity, a monastery-like community where students live and work and
learn for longer periods.  Where scholarly pursuits don't have the time
constraints they currently have.

But then again, the growth of the internet has made a lot of this possible
anyway.  Heck, here I am getting all this interaction and feedback from all
kinds of high quality teachers and academics.  And it doesn't cost me a
cent.

Thanks for the solstice present, professor Bensinger!

John