Comments on: An Alternative Education

By: JML

JML — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:40:17 +0000

By itself, it is a plausible discussion…the whole Enlightenment connection, which is what I think (?) you were trying to get at, right?

By: adamv

adamv — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:34:22 +0000

I see.

I was trying to link it back to discipline.

Ah well.

By: JML

JML — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:29:20 +0000

I didn’t say that there was anything controversial about it. I just felt it was a somewhat gratuitous reference that didn’t have much to do with the crux of the issue – which is about personal one-on-one contact in education.

Of course, it should be addressed, but it needs its own post.

By: adamv

adamv — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:17:26 +0000

What about saying that capitalism doesn’t want people to be self-thinking and self-reliant is controversial?

I think I will adress some of your other points in another post sometime soon…

By: JML

JML — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:14:00 +0000

You know why these are problems? Before I get to that, you had me up until the whole ‘dependence on capitalism’ line. But I digress…

‘Education’ isn’t the same thing as ‘training’. You are advocating more of a ‘training’ model in order to provide society with the means to survive (food, clothing, etc.), and I agree that we absolutely do need that. ‘Education’ is something we get as people that is (allegedly) furthering our minds and expanding our horizons. You say that the modern day school has no use for the manual skills you advocate in your closing paragraphs. Problem is – the ancient schools didn’t either! The medieval universities were not about training in skills, nor were the ancient academies. As you saiid, you learned from a master in whatever as an apprentice or disciple.

Having been now 4 years teaching in a high school, it is pretty common knowledge that the smaller classes benefit much more. The classes where I have 15-17 guys are the best; the ones with 32 guys are troublesome. I do agree that the personalism is beneficial. This is why distance learning is never going to become the dominant form; you still need personal contact.