Well, in community college, you’re now the “customer”, and determine what you want to study, and how to study. It still provides a framework, but you’re much freer in that framework. The question is to what extent can we get similar benefits in earlier schooling. AFAICT, the best way to do so would be to make more of it optional. (Another pet project of mine would be to separate grading/certification and teaching. They’re very different things, and having the same entity do both of them seems like a recipe for altering one to make the other look good.)
″...separate grading/certification and teaching....”
John Stuart Mill advocates that in the last chapter of On Liberty. He wanted the state to be in charge of testing and certification, but get out of the teaching business altogether (except for providing funding for educating the poor). I like the idea.
(Another pet project of mine would be to separate grading/certification and teaching. They’re very different things, and having the same entity do both of them seems like a recipe for altering one to make the other look good.)
I really think this is the domino that could trigger reform throughout the entire system. The problem is that there are only a few professions that require a specific, critical skill-set which can be easily tested and which completion of a degree does not guarantee.
Well, in community college, you’re now the “customer”, and determine what you want to study, and how to study. It still provides a framework, but you’re much freer in that framework. The question is to what extent can we get similar benefits in earlier schooling. AFAICT, the best way to do so would be to make more of it optional. (Another pet project of mine would be to separate grading/certification and teaching. They’re very different things, and having the same entity do both of them seems like a recipe for altering one to make the other look good.)
″...separate grading/certification and teaching....”
John Stuart Mill advocates that in the last chapter of On Liberty. He wanted the state to be in charge of testing and certification, but get out of the teaching business altogether (except for providing funding for educating the poor). I like the idea.
I should really get around to reading On Liberty one of these days.
I really think this is the domino that could trigger reform throughout the entire system. The problem is that there are only a few professions that require a specific, critical skill-set which can be easily tested and which completion of a degree does not guarantee.