The Best Valedictorian Speech Ever

[Beldaran]

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/opinion/editorials/story/6459577p-6312251c.html

It was so good, the principle pulled him off the stage and prevented him from finishing, then claimed he hoped no one heard or understood it.

Ladies and gentlemen, America is run by idiots and we are totally screwed as a culture. Compeltely intellectually screwed.

[Rainman]

And the principal's reaction? He said Elnahal's speech was “hypocritical” and “an insult.” Speaking of the other students in the audience, Blake said, “My hope was they did not hear or understand what he was saying. ... He was belittling the diplomas of every one of those kids.”


No more than the education system itself.

[Aegix Drakan]

/me applauds the guy.

the guy was really thinking it through. the interruption of his speech was a blatant act of censorship, and only helped to further prove his point. Education is no longer about learning, it is now about getting our heads stuffed with the crap the government wants us to think.

[Rafnul]

That vaguely reminds me of the time the superintendent of my school district came out to give a speech, and he started it out with "When you're in the business of education..." He immediately lost the attention of those few students who were paying any attention to him to begin with. It's all well and good to mock the system, but the real thinkers are those who come up with a solution.

My mother works in education; she's the registrar at a community college. It's amazing how resistant she is to changing things for the more reasonable. The idea of modifying prereqs depending on the level of education of the student is completely lost on her. A friend of mine, who recently transferred there from the state university we had both attended in the fall, has taken several courses in programming, has taken "Technical Integration of English", and has taken English Composition, yet, in order to graduate with his degree, he must "go back" and get credit for "Microcomputer Applications" which is one of the most dated, boring, and useless classes in existence.

I'm sure everyone here has similar stories, since most of us have graduated from high school, and many of us from college. However, the point here lies just as much in the specifics as it does in the generalities. The case of the "Microcomputer Applications" blunder is resolvable. If one has a solid case to modify the curriculum, he can present that case to the board, and to the various deans which have direct control over the specific policy.

Sometimes we operate under the assumption that the system is not modifiable. We hate the system, we rebel against the machine. Yet, what we fail to realize is that we are as much in control of it as we are affected by it. It depends on what level you wish to modify. Do you wish to modify the nature of the entire national public education system? Then you have to do two things, you have to generate federal legislation, and you have to publicize the legislation and support it with facts. People like facts a lot more than they like deduction.

I just find it completely ironic that there will be people who will complain about the nature of the public education system, then will end up working in it and will end up supporting it's degradation.

[koopa]

I really admire what this guy has done. It's so true, in a way. I could launch into along rant here about the Swiss school system ... but all I'll say is I learnt more from reading books for and by myself than in half the classes.

The principal hoping no-one understood the speech just goes further to show how stupid he expects his pupils to turn out, and I can't help laughing at the fact that we're not supposed to understand speeches that criticize the establishment ... (I've just been reading 1984 a bit, and the depressing part is how close the world can at times seem to it).

If there's one thing I have learnt in all my "education", it's don't blindly trust teachers or textbooks. If you want to know something, go find out for yourself. Never accept an opinion without second thought just because it's what "everyone" thinks - keep an open mind. And always listen to both sides of the story before you make up your mind.

[MottZilla]

It's the truth despite that certain people don't want to hear it. Our public school system is mostly a babysitting/holding center for all those kids, partly because the government forces it. You do learn some things if you go to a good school, but the fact is it doesn't take you till you're 18 to learn everything. Probably a mix of culture and shitty people incharge is why public school is a bunch of BS. We all know it's more about having credit for your ass being in a chair for X amounts of days/hours. And for doing X amount of busy work.

[Glitch]

What's funny is, most of the teachers prolly agreed with him. They don't teach to teach anymore. They teach so you can pass tests.

[Rainman]

It's the truth despite that certain people don't want to hear it. Our public school system is mostly a babysitting/holding center for all those kids, partly because the government forces it. You do learn some things if you go to a good school, but the fact is it doesn't take you till you're 18 to learn everything. Probably a mix of culture and shitty people incharge is why public school is a bunch of BS. We all know it's more about having credit for your ass being in a chair for X amounts of days/hours. And for doing X amount of busy work.

This is why I don't know why private school don't have more demand. They are a bit expensive now, but if private school were more usual than the prices would go down. Competition between schools would ensure quality education. Also, people shouldn't be forced into school. Heck some kids are in there now that don't want to be in there yet the government forces them to stay. We have to pay for those useless kids who don't respect education. Make education a valuable commodity and people will start taking it seriously.

[MottZilla]

We already pay for public schools. The problem is the government lets them be run like pieces of shit, wasting our money on babysitting and not education.

[Rainman]

We already pay for public schools. The problem is the government lets them be run like pieces of shit, wasting our money on babysitting and not education.

No, we are forced to pay and forced to send the kids there in most cases. If I were to send my kids to private school, I think, I would still have to pay for a bureaucratic education system that is going down the drain. Yes, they run like shit and the only steps taken are always to make system even more bureaucratic. Public schools are dead and the only way it is going to get any better is if a truly, revolutionary leader comes along making massive amounts of positive changes. That's never going to happen.

[Aegix Drakan]

That's never going to happen.

right. cause anybody who tries to change the system for the better ends up dicredited, or they just dissapear. stupid, money mongering politicians.

Next thing you know, they'll be sending out the thought police.

[MottZilla]

The thought police are already out. They were trying to ban flag burning awhile back. Not that I support burning the flag, but to make it illegal is setting up grounds for further oppressions.