Wednesday, March 2, 2005

School flaws and my problems with them.
I thought about doing this for awhile. Going through school I've noticed a few... shall I say... problems with the system. Some of them sheer educational flaws, others flaws of morality. I'll write them up here.

Old habits die hard.

I was always annoyed that Greek Mythology was taught in schools in modern day. The only reason why it is taught is that when the Rennosance came around, people decided to revive the traditions of the Romans and Greeks for education. This included what they decided to teach. So as a requirement, Greek Mythology was made something people were forced to learn. 500+ years later, we haven't changed it.

Though you can take seperate classes on it today, you are required to know Greek Mythology to pass atleast one semester of English in High School. It is squeezed in with literatures such as The Illiad. Now, if we were just dabbeling in it to understand where the auther was coming from, I would be fine with that. But on the semster exam I had some trouble when I had to reconcile 12+ gods from memory and write down their purposes, names, relationships with eachother. Trouble that I thought was very unecissary. There is only 2 applications for which Greek mythology would ever be useful. That is if you are a historrian of that era, or if you are a researcher of religions in the past. Of course, I'm an engineer major, so that knowledge is something to be purged from my memory with no regrets.

You will believe this, or fail!
Which brings me to my second problem with public schools. That is that they are made to teach children ranging from first grade to well into college evolutionism. The NEA argued and won that evolution will be taught as fact in school, theisms will only be taught as fiction, if at all, and to discourage any questioning of evolutionism.

This instruction as to what they should believe starts as early as 1st grade. Since school is mandatory, the government is quite literally forcing children to become evolutionists! All because the NEA won't accept that evolutionism is a self-admitted pseudoscience. To become a geneticist, my sister is forced to take a class on evolution, and evolution is forced down in more sciences than there should be.

Similar to the Big Bang theory and a few accounts of those describing research of other "origin of the universe" theories, when you go along with what you get forced down your throat all through school, you'll do just fine. However, the second you do otherwise, doors and options close completelly.


Then we move on to literature and english classes. Something that annoyed me is that my entire state has a set system of which books you are to read going through school, regardless that they classify school disctricts as counties. Go to other states, and similar if not the same books are read. The same books with the same morals and the same ideas with the same situations presented to the people.

Almost as if our youth is cultivated to have certain morals and philosophies, and those who don't agree with them (ME) will find themselves at the ridicule end of even the instructors when you read an article and have the complete oppositve view of it as the one you are supposed to have.

Mechanical responses instead of understanding

Another flaw with the education system that I read about in an article is what I call the "Machine syndrom". The ideal enviroment for a class that the teacher and schools enforce is an enviroment where students are to sit up strait, do their homework, turn everything in on time, write neatly, be quiet in class, not throw things or misbehaive, memorize vocabulary, take naps at naptime (I believe some schools still do this), write research papers in proper format, walk in lines, keep clean, and attend regularly. Those who do not are punished and discriminated against.

Unforntunately none of these outlined requirements has anything that distinguishes them from orders given to a computer.

When asked questions about the outside world, reasons as to why they say certain things, or stuff they don't know about, they reply with amazing ingorance, a "because I was told so" response, and an "I don't know" for those questions respectfully.

It ends up that the students who are most active, speak out in class, and often mis-behave are the most briliant ones there, even if they don't pass, their I.Q. is a step above those who are revered as good students because they can follow directions. Unfortunately the enviroment enforces discrimination against those who do not go along with the machine.

I didn't get a class that didn't follow this pattern until I was in high school. Most students find that class to be miserable. I enjoy it quite a bit.

Social activities and Instructor behaviors

I guess one of the reasons why I am who I am is because there wasn't a year in school that I wasn't constantly picked on or bullied by at least more than one person until, well, this year. Yes, even the instructors have been a pain.

This will be the first social interaction that I'm gonna address. Every single instance, I had a blind eye turned to my problem. Teachers, Councilers, School Staff, friends, parents even. I was givin the same utter crap that they would say about bulllies (I could probably write a complete other article about this, but I'll keep it short), only to find that each one was false from personal experience. The inconsideration that the staff at the schools that I attend is so saddening it is rediculous. This also ties to the understanding problem.

Most children don't understand that machine-fed concept of right and wrong. I once mentioned (not here) about how if a todler gets caught stealing money from their parents, after he is punished, he learns to be more careful next time.

They don't learn not to do it. They learn not to get caught, or not to do it when a superior is around. And that sticks with a good some of children for years. Usually until their 30s or somewhere around there.

Children are taught to be social, to have friends, stick together, and most importantly, that not wanting friends or interactions is not right. This causes the social skeletons and insipid concerns of the social life of the teenager that is inspired more by possesions and status and purpose. A form if discrimination that isn't as obvious as the color of one's skin.

Well, I've hit a writers block. I'll sleep on it, and try to remember the other things I came up with.

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