

Teens more competent than we assume - bootload
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20070302-000002.html

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swombat
_The factory system doesn't work in the modern world, because two years after
graduation, whatever you learned is out of date_

I don't know what kind of school this guy went to, but none of the stuff I
learnt at school is out of date. If your school teaches you stuff that goes
out of date in 2 years, you're going to the wrong school, pal.

Examples of stuff that don't go out of date:

* Maths

* Physics

* English

* History

* Geography (ok that goes slightly out of date, but very slowly)

* Foreign Languages

* Ancient Languages (Latin, Greek - out of date in 2 years my ass)

I stopped reading at this point - such a blatantly false premise can't
possibly lead to an article worth reading. Was I right?

Daniel

~~~
dazzawazza
I think the factory system referes not to the subjects but the methods of
teaching. It has been argued for the last 40 years or so that modern education
just creates humans to work in cubicles since that is what employers want.
This does not benifit society.

An example in the UK is that all TEN year olds in the UK are taught to use
Excel, Power Point and Word. They are not taught what these tools are for or
how they work but how to use them. It has no educational value but gets the
children ready for their working life of complete boredom. It is a complete
waste of time in my opinion.

Example 2: All UK children from 9 are given lessons and tests in using a
calculator. This can be inspite of the fact that they may not 'understand'
multiplication (note I mean understand as opposed to perform).

Children are taught that education is needed so that you can get a good job
(in a cubicle). While this is true it is a small part of the world as any
adult knows. The idea of life learning is absent from modern education. Little
or no attempt is made by the system to inspire children to go beyond the
syllabus, children who fall behind are however 'worked' until they catch up.

BTW I do not blame teachers for this. As education has become more
prescriptive and motivational the role of teaching has been sidelined.

It's a good article and as a parent it rings true to me.

PS: I have two children aged 10 and 3 in the UK education system atm.

~~~
swombat
Ah, well, from the sound of it, the curriculum's changed a bit since I did my
schooling in Switzerland (I'm only 28, though, so it can't have changed THAT
much).

Certainly what you describe sounds pretty useless.

Daniel

------
dgabriel
I completely agree. It's tragic how little we value the strengths and
contributions of people who just happen to be younger than 18.

True story - I met Robert Epstein's lawyer in Shay's yesterday. He hit on me
and insulted my boyfriend. I have his card right here.

~~~
mynameishere
_I have his card right here._

Ah, so you _also_ insulted your boyfriend.

..............

At any rate, nothing you can say vis-a-vis teenagers today is necessarily
comparable to the past. In the past, certain things would have not be
thinkable. No--they didn't restrict teenagers from getting tattoo parlors or
going into tanning salons (bother invariably stupid behaviors) but only
because such things didn't exist. Restrictions on drinking were less severe,
no doubt. But such leniancy predated regular car ownership. Likewise, economic
changes have changed the meaning of "good" work from manual labor, which teens
are capable of, to such things as quiet and steady and detail-oriented
paperwork...which teens are not so good at.

The bigger problem is the excessive sexualization of young people--not just
teens. Somehow I doubt that Psychology Today is too concerned.

~~~
dgabriel
The card - Please, don't get me wrong, it's not something that will get any
usage. It was thrust upon both of us, not secretly slipped to me under a
table.

Alcohol prohibitions have more to do with the cultural perception of drinking
as "sinful," than the danger of driving. And, of course, setting something up
as a taboo gives it a more powerful draw. Same with sex.

I don't think the argument that teens are mostly suited for manual labor is
correct. The amount of homework many teens get and complete is a testament to
how well they handle boring paperwork. I'd argue that they're suited for entry
level positions in many fields, even as young as 14, and not allowing them
that opportunity is not the same as enforcing child labor laws to protect the
easily exploited.

