[AccessD] OT: the "Education" system

As an aside... I was told this morning from a spouse of a local elementary
school teacher that the principal of said school has decided NOT to hold
back a single student this year.  Students with unsatisfactory (we can't say
"failing", can we?) grades across the board are being sent on regardless of
teacher recommendations.  Of course the principal is only part of the
problem.  The teacher is also aware of parents (most?, some?, all?) who were
advised to hold back their child have chosen instead to let their child
continue on.


...I suppose if we ignore the problem long enough, it will eventually go
away.  :(



Mark


-----Original Message-----
From: John Colby [mailto:jcolby at colbyconsulting.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 11:09 AM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: [AccessD] OT: the "Education" system


I read something long ago that would indicate why this is so.  According to
this article, the university system as we know it got it's start in the
middle ages.  The average Joe did not go to school, did not know how to read
or write.  Universities were originally designed to "educate" the sons and
daughters of the ruling class.  The intended subjects of the system did not
work, they ruled.  They had no need to "go get a job".  They needed skills
distinctly different from those needed today.

Unfortunately those in power in the university system do it "the way it has
always been done".  A classic example of this is the ludicrous practice of
forcing medical interns to stay on duty 48 hours at a time with only a
couple of hours sleep.  Everyone acknowledges that this is dangerous, to the
interns and even more so to the poor slob being seen by these sleep deprived
interns.  But... "that's the way it has always been done".

And so we live in a world where the college graduate has been forced to do
the "choose two from basket weaving, choose two from music, choose two from
science".  Yep, been there, done that.  What a waste.

And of course the defenders of the system CLAIM that the purpose is not to
train them to do a particular job (which is actually a good thing) but to
learn how to think.  If only that were true!

Try disputing anything the professor says and see how fast you are taught
NOT to think!

John W. Colby
www.colbyconsulting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Wortz, Charles
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:48 AM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT? - Certification


Vlad,

As a former college professor, I also notice that many of these "so called
Highly Qualified Graduates" are not only "regurgitators of info" with "no
people skills whatsoever" but also have no analytical skills.

At most of the colleges and universities that I taught at I was the only
Computer Science faculty member that had any real-world experience as a
programmer/analyst.  And I was the only one that designed my tests as
problems to solve, not multiple-guess or fill-in-the-blank type tests. I
wanted my students to learn how to analyze and solve problems, not
regurgitate data, which a trained monkey can do.

One of the reasons I quit teaching is I got tired of butting heads with
departmental chairs and school deans that didn't understand there was a
difference between theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge and that
the graduate from a bachelor level program needs to have some practical
knowledge if he/she is to expect to find a job in the real world.  Only
about 1% of the students could hope to become clones of their professors,
they rest needed to be able to survive in the real world.

Charles Wortz
Software Development Division
Texas Education Agency
1701 N. Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701-1494
512-463-9493
CWortz at tea.state.tx.us


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