Friday, February 20, 2009

Scathing review of British Education reform

A scathing review of British version of "no child left behind", but really reflects trends around the world. To some extent Japanese and Indian education systems supposed successes In math and science were used to lengthen school years, load young kids with homework and rob them of play time, creativity, humanities and childhood, In particular, top business, info and other technology grads around the world are ignorant even of the spirit of the glorious revolution of Cromwell in Britain, the French and American revolutions, the rights struggles of Ghandi in South Africa and India, and the dialogue and struggle on class, race and human rights in the US, the economic, moral and political questions of Adam Smith, Marx, Engels Weber in the 19th century and the continuing development of thought on human rights in the 20th century. More controversially, I would argue, while acutely aware of some recent film, music and other pop culture, they lack depth in the history of classical and popular culture in at least one or 2 regions essential to understanding the richness of language and history.

This trend, which is older than the recent initiatives, really goes a long way explaining the acquiescence of populations of all developed nations to measures and political parties which compromise the Magna Carta, etc. (note that the Google spell checker highlights Magna Carta as an error). The continued development of ideas of equality, rights and environmental justice may rely on the thin ranks of a few progressives in North and South America and the rest of the world such as the Ghandiists.