A good read on the decline of society...

[The Elkster]

http://www.declineoftheempire.com/20...ignorance.html

This is an interesting artical which mirrors my thoughts and experience with the current education system. At best kids are learning to memorize not to think. Schools are huge business with big stakes. Students are held out as the "priority" but actions by faculties say MONEY. What better business model to leverage every last cent out of someone. And my gosh are they doing a dandy job. Tag "education" to anything and all of a sudden 10's and 100's of thousands of dollars worth of debt seems reasonable. Society and marketing ensure this mentality is pounded into us.

I hope people will take the time to read some of his other articals. The guy isn't the most upbeat and he goes off about global warming once in awhile but much of what he says is very insightful and smack on. Its about the US system but we're the same in most regards and will live and die with the US. Really makes one think about the system and where we stand as average joe's. As an O&G guy I can attest to the validity of much that he says about that issue. Things are not as rosey as many would like to believe. Numbers have been greatly massaged and manipulated to calm the masses. People don't want their comfortable world shaken.

[Okotokian]

I would divide the education system in to primary/secondary and post secondary. For all it's flaws I think the primary and secondary systems still tries to put students first. I used to think the college/university level did too, having gotten undergraduate and graduate degrees there. My experience with my two sons now leads me to believe otherwise. I don't know what university administrators actually believe, but their actions suggest that their primary concern is the university itself. Next come professors and their research. I think actually serving and educating students is sliding down the list.

[The Elkster]

I would agree that the K-12 schools are not perfect but definitely not so bad.

But seeing the state of universities and graduates today, the number of highly "educated" but unemployed and then there is the debt...It's certainly a wake up call as to what may happen if we let money and finances dictate everything in life. Many programs are being filled not because the jobs exist but rather to keep the faculty and teachers at the trough. Not that I'm blaming just the schools. There is no shortage of students spending mom and dads money just to kill time while deciding what life is all about....another topic

[AxeMan]

Originally Posted by Okotokian

I would divide the education system in to primary/secondary and post secondary. For all it's flaws I think the primary and secondary systems still tries to put students first. I used to think the college/university level did too, having gotten undergraduate and graduate degrees there. My experience with my two sons now leads me to believe otherwise. I don't know what university administrators actually believe, but their actions suggest that their primary concern is the university itself. Next come professors and their research. I think actually serving and educating students is sliding down the list.

Oko, I think you are on the mark with your thoughts regarding the higher level post secondary management philosophy. I work for a large post secondary institute in Alberta and I have been seconded to a research project that has little to do with educating students. Most of the student success philosophy is coming directly from the instructional staff and not management. Sometimes it seems like student success and traditional and practical education for the students comes second. Research has become the buzz word now and it is because of the very lucrative research grant opportunities that are available today.

[Bushrat]

Most people don't seem to grasp that our education system is deliberately creating generations of people who accept what they are told at face value without question. They are being taught not to think but simply accept and practice what they are told. Schools and universities are no longer houses of education, they are becoming 'Social Engineereing Institutes', whose goal is to produce easily manipulated subjects who will conform to the agendas of their government.

[winged1]

Numbers have been greatly massaged and manipulated to calm the masses.

There is no shortage of students spending mom and dads money just to kill time while deciding what life is all about

I don't think they're calming the masses, they are serving the masses, as evidenced by your second quote. These institutes flourish because we patronize them. Are they milking the herd?, of course, that's what our 'commerce' based society runs on.

[Ryry4]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

Most people don't seem to grasp that our education system is deliberately creating generations of people who accept what they are told at face value without question. They are being taught not to think but simply accept and practice what they are told. Schools and universities are no longer houses of education, they are becoming 'Social Engineereing Institutes', whose goal is to produce easily manipulated subjects who will conform to the agendas of their government.

I couldn't agree more.