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Originally Posted by brecklundin
yeah, that is the true sad part. And you are right to point out societies other than the US do not place a high value on independent thought or questioning the PTB. Then again one also needs to appreciate the point where constant questioning actually impedes learning or the topic under discussion. It all melds together...  |
I'm personally a fan of Socratic Method in education, as one of its benefits is learning independently of direct knowledge transmission. Beneficial for everyone, at the cost of some social stability (perhaps).
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Here in the US it really is sad how few people value knowledge...and for most college (as in University level), for the first 2-yrs or so, has become an extended High School rather than a place of advanced learning. So much time is wasted on teaching freshmen the basics of learning which they should have learned before getting there, that a standard degree should really be a 5-6 yr program or at least an 11-month/3-semester school year.
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If I recall, the university I went to reported a four-year undergraduate graduation rate of well under 30%, with significant numbers staying a fifth or sixth year for their degree. In part, that is due to arbitrary degree requirements not being met and poor communication with advisers on scheduling, but yes also due to general basic education, though many universities offer only 0-credit classes for "university prerequisite" courses. There are many problems with the education systems in North America, though I always laugh when some say "those Asian countries got it right", citing test scores.