Schools of the Future?

[JayeM]

I'm reading a sci-fi book and it has a description of the author's idea of the schools of the next century. I thought I'd share it with you and see what you think of it, or what your ideas are about how education ought to evolve.

"Pre-university academics--science and math, geography and language, history and literature, art and civics--were far better mastered in the peace and privacy of a child's residence, with the aid of computers and away from the distractions of one's age peers.

"Schools were designed to instruct children ages four to thirteen in all aspects of Real Life. From eight in the morning until noon, four days a week, children gathered in their local school to learn what the tribe of mankind expected of them: how to be decent human beings and survive in a world that grew more complex not by the year, but by the day. In school, a child learned about the psychology of male-female relationships, dating, the institution of marriage, sex, how to open and manage a bank account, how to perform simple household repairs, deal with credit, purchase a residence, handle lawyers, consult with doctors, plan a vacation, shop for goods and services, buy and cook food--all the critical components of everyday life that bumbling previous generations had somehow expected children to learn on their own, usually by utterly inadequate variations of social osmosis. In other words, all the really important things.

"At fourteen, a child entered into two years of analytical studies and advanced school, and at sixteen, choices were made between higher education, vocational apprenticeship programs, public service, and a plethora of less-defining adult options such as the military."

[Rainman]

"In school, a child learned about the psychology of male-female relationships, dating, the institution of marriage, sex, how to open and manage a bank account, how to perform simple household repairs, deal with credit, purchase a residence, handle lawyers, consult with doctors, plan a vacation, shop for goods and services, buy and cook food"
No no no!

Isn't this forgetting a little thing called parenting? Well a few of those are okay, but moral decisions and basic living skill shouold be under the domain of parents.

[ShadowTiger]

Well, indeed, what they say there sounds like a very interesting step toward SOME direction, but is that direction the right one? I mean, granted, it's an idea in and of itself, but so is the current system. Seeing as the "right" system is different in everyone's eyes, we'd also have to take a look at what they don't offer. (Kudos, Rainman. Kudos.)

They may have a lot to cover, really. Although they DO seem to offer male-female relations techniques, they don't seem to cover racial and religious differences quite well. Those are obviously more subjective than not, but tolerance is a thing everyone can learn, regardless of values. (But once more, that's quite subjective, and is coming from my point of view.)


I wonder how much the individual states would cover, or if the government would handle all of it.

Either way, any system that doesn't include skin-embedded electronic tags is a good system. :thumbsup: ... :rolleyes: :p

[Axel]

Well, covering the physical aspect would certainly be good. As it stands most sexual education is redundant and fails to cover things that might actually help. I dunno about you, but I think it might be a good idea to tell kids entering sexual maturity how to obtain and use condoms and birth control.


how to open and manage a bank account, how to perform simple household repairs, deal with credit, purchase a residence, handle lawyers, consult with doctors, plan a vacation, shop for goods and services, buy and cook food--
Now that's something that deffinitely deserves better coverage.

[Dechipher]

How to use a condom? I mean, I'm not sure what's so hard about it....Stick Tab a into Slot B. Proceed as normal. It's not that difficult. I figured out my first time. Birth control, take the pill. There are, I'm sure specifics for these things that you might want to teach, but nothing that an hour or two couldn't handle.

I think classes with the accurate risk assesments might be more useful.

[Blonde799]

JayeM, where have you been hiding? The future is NOW! :D

I went to a school that taught real world basics, and it was very fun. The system most schools use(as not ALL school teach this way) teaches us how to be college professors. What if we wanted to be actors? Or chefs? I have my opinion of why schools are doing this, but for the most part our schools need to teach something different.

[Rainman]

How to use a condom? I mean, I'm not sure what's so hard about it....Stick Tab a into Slot B. Proceed as normal. It's not that difficult. I figured out my first time. Birth control, take the pill. There are, I'm sure specifics for these things that you might want to teach, but nothing that an hour or two couldn't handle.

I think classes with the accurate risk assesments might be more useful.

Actual use is not that hard, but there are things the can be taught to prevent misuse. For instance, how to tell when a condom is broken what medications might affect birth control pills effectiveness and what not. There are many factors that must be considered inorder to insure maximum performance of whatever birth control.

[Belgarath]

So what about the disabled? Take for example your common visually disabled (blind) person. How would these changes affect them? Alphas and Betas anybody? (Old reference.. get it?)

I think if you did this for every body, then everybody would be on the same basic footing when they turned 18. You would see allot more responsible people and less people would be homeless because they made plans for themselves and where taught to stick to them.

The social distractions however are what make school bearable for many of the adolescent population. If you take that out your basically say "No you do not have a childhood now, your going to be an adult now." and some basic level I have to agree with that if they are 15 or 16. But what about the age of 8?

You also have the problems with an overnight change in the system to something like this. Imagine being an 4rth grader in a school of today and then going to fifth grade and being expected to cope with the large changes and the expectations that you have all the required skills for the classes your now in. IF they start this it should be for somebody just starting school, and have the changes fade into the population as the 12 years of normal grade school go by.

[Blonde799]

So what about the disabled? Take for example your common visually disabled (blind) person. How would these changes affect them?
Greatly, in a more positive way.:) Sure they'd need help, but then again everyone does.