BETWEEN THE LINES: Some thoughts on education
The current emphasis in American education is more on style than substance. Propaganda often has replaced facts, and indoctrination has been substituted for truth.
The political left’s control of our educational system, coupled with decades of favorable court rulings, have us on the edge of the abyss.
The prevailing thought is that there is a direct correlation between money and a better education, which is unabashed hogwash. Today, we spend multiple times more per student than we did a half century ago, but a careful observer knows that students’ classroom performances over that period has diminished regardless of the current string of performance evaluations that say the contrary.
Sure, administrators will point to improved scores and exemplary campuses, but all that proves is students are better prepared to pass a standardized test. As a teacher for four decades, I can attest that students’ knowledge of current events is inferior compared to when I was in high school.
It would be unfair to blame the school system entirely for the problem. The causes are many, but at the top of my list is the breakdown of the family unit. Education begins with involved parents interested in their children’s progress.
It is virtually impossible for teachers to overcome a family atmosphere that discourages learning. Looking for bureaucrats in Austin and Washington, D.C., to solve the educational malaise is futile.
Their mandated solutions over the years have only created more problems.
Technology has added to the problem. The extensive use of cell phones for text messages and tweets has become an addiction. Students can determine what their classmates are doing, but are clueless about what is taking place in Libya or Japan. Although Facebook is marvelous, I believe students do not have the discipline to manage their time and the technology now available to them.
Problems with public education do not end at the secondary level. College curriculums have been transformed by the whims of misguided professors and meaningless classes that do little to enhance learning. The money required for those pursuing higher education is getting out of hand.
Student loans carry the largest amount of debt. Students, especially those seeking advanced degrees such as law, are taking on six-figure loans that could be a problem if the economy goes south.
Improving education is not a panacea for what ails society. Author, educator and former atheist C. S. Lewis understood that learning without a moral compass is a dead-end proposition. He argued that education without moral values has a negative effect because it can magnify evil instead of good.
The Briton, who wrote "The Chronicles of Narnia," was a master of logic and reason. Few writers can explain the ramifications of complex issues any better than Lewis.
Today’s students are victims, although not entirely innocent ones, of grade inflation and a society placing too much value on entertainment. Reading challenging books that stretch the mind, and correctly writing compositions summarizing what has been learned, has become passé.
Pouring more tax dollars into education is not the solution for our woes. Setting uncompromising higher standards and demanding excellence in the classroom are the answers to our dilemma — none of which can be accomplished without parental involvement and a strong moral compass.
Laughlin is a Christian Libertarian. He is an economist, teacher, father, husband and most recently a grandfather. He has written a weekly column for The Tribune for 12 years. He and his wife Gina reside in Meadowlakes. To contact him, e-mail ablaughlin@nctv.com. He is an independent columnist, not a staff member, and his views do not necessarily reflect those of The Tribune or its parent company.