Edumakation

"Let's go back to 1888 and the Senate Committee on Education. The committee was addressing local control of education. Concerned was expressed that local control of the government education process might actually result in our children being taught too much! The committee report actually says "We believe that education is one of the principal causes of discontent of late years manifesting itself among the laboring classes." In other words, the more someone knows the more discontent they become in later years. Discontent with what?"

I've seen much in the way with this notion. Bertrand Russell has been a personal favorite in logic. His conclusions (back 100 years ago) on the practices of public education in a nation-state are much as what we have now. Indoctrination of certain precepts and the development of necessary items of productivity. Of what use are math and science in the development of public policy? On occasion perhaps, it is necessary to understand the science or the numbers behind a particular subject. I would argue though that the voter/citizen need essentially to understand what a number actually represents. Education that allows people to place each statistic in its proper perspective is far more important than churning out science teachers. Science is certainly useful, but in point of fact, in the modern world it matters very little where a technological advance comes from. It matters who buys it or sells it. Someone in India or China can come up with a cure for a disease just as easily as we might here in America. Does that matter? Should it? I don't doubt the useful necessity of teaching mathematics and of exploring the concepts of science. But if we want productive and happy citizens, they need to be able to observe and decide what the roots of their unhappiness may come from. Namely, am I displeased with my leaders or myself.