Is Public Education A Fraud? — Chapter Two — A Professor’s Doubts
Here is a skeptical professor who speaks out about our new curriculum in BC. What he says applies substantially to the rest of Canada, US with its Common Core problems, and anywhere else in the world that is facing “21st Century Transformations”. He feels students will find “the whole exercise is pointless.”
Here is Prof David Livingstone’s Opinion Piece in the Vancouver Sun yesterday with the title — BC kids guinea pigs in dubious public school experiment. The title is different in the online story — Brave New World is in the title — http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/editorials/opinion+revised+public+school+curriculum+preparing/11655627/story.html
“ . . . few parents I have talked with know their children are about to become the subjects in a very ambitious social experiment based on some questionable hypotheses.”
“The new curriculum is designed for the “21st century learner” for whom, we are told by the Ministry of Education, learning facts will become less important.”
Dr Livingstone is correct in noting that parents are largely unaware. On top of this “the system” itself is going into uncharted territory. And “personalized learning” in its fullest implementation opens up serious questions of privacy, womb-to-tomb data collection and social engineering suspicions.
Human experimentation should have strict protocols in place to protect subjects — especially young children who are yet unable to stand up for themselves.
I think this expose by Dr Livingstone is a good time to start developing a consciousness about the harm that can occur when radically new, untested and unproven, techniques are to be used in teaching and learning. Parents need written safeguards against which they can check whether their full permission should be granted to have their children participate. Example: The program has qualified, well-prepared personnel. The program is supported by research with supporting references. Parents are part of the feedback and evaluation of the new program.
I haven’t seen any such safeguards enunciated anywhere in these sweeping international education “transformations” and “paradigm shifts”. I think these illuminating observations by Dr Livingstone could be the spur to develop statements about the rights and responsibilities of those involved in the education of young children.