Are you smarter than a, uhm, a kindergartner?

[Gary Allan]

You're right, education is turning into more of a social terraforming exercise.

Keep in mind that we're cultural mutts that managed some great achievements (in the short view) without being refined and gentile.

The French aristocracy was probably correct in their view of the bourgeoisie.

 

[BrianWC]

I don't mind us being mutts. I mind us being sedated zombies with no common sense.

 

[Laminar Lou]

Only in America could we celebrate how dumb people are for entertainment.

Although, most people do get a kick out of feeling superior so I can understand why it is a hit show.

 

[Pablo]

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I knew where to find nearly every country in the world and what it's capital city was before I was in 2nd grade.
Wanting to learn is more important than whatever educational system there is.

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That is profound. Well elegant. OK simple but so true..... I've thrown enough rocks at the system to have found out that someone who just blames the gov. is fairly messed up.... I think I'll blame Hollywood today.

 

[MarkC]

Oh, the govt. does indeed suk, but in the end, if you want an education, get one.

 

[Pablo]

Didn't say it didn't. But so do teacher's unions, entrenched school boards, tenured research professors "forced" to teach, TA's who don't speak English, etc.

And Hollywood. At the very least parents could maybe once or twice a year remind the little zombies...."ugh....kids, that's not reality...."

 

[BrianWC]

You're correct. It's not just the govt's fault. Parents expect kids to learn but think they can do it by sitting in front of an X-Box for 6 hrs a night. Teachers live in fear of disciplining kids....oiy....I lived in fear of the principal's paddle....

 

[VeeDubb]

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Didn't say it didn't. But so do teacher's unions, entrenched school boards, tenured research professors "forced" to teach, TA's who don't speak English, etc.

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How are you grouping teachers' unions with tenured professors and teaching assistantships for international students? Our primary/secondary education system is widely regarded as among the worst among industrialized countries (thanks in part to teachers' unions) whereas our higher education system is widely regarded as the best in the world (thanks to tenure, which grants academic freedom, along with graduate school funding for the brightest minds in the world).

 

[Shannow]

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CNNN did a question session where they asked people to put a pin in their "nastiest" country...was a real eye opener.

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I'm sure it was the USA in most cases.

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Nope they all put their pin in dear old Australia...whether Australia was named Iraq, Iran, North Korea...whatever, they put the pin in an island/continent at the bottom right of the map.

 

[Pablo]

I have encountered bad amongst all those listed. We have some fine higher ed institutions .... on the other hand, many of the clowns on the subject show have BA's and B Ess's. (Can't type ____)

 

[Pablo]

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Nope they all put their pin in dear old Australia...whether Australia was named Iraq, Iran, North Korea...whatever, they put the pin in an island/continent at the bottom right of the map.

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That is ........ special.