In the discussion today about Common Core Standards, there was one thing that did stand out. The lady mentioned that there was to be a significant shift from using literature to using informational material to teach reading. The reason being that we need to prepare our students for the job force of the future.
I wonder if people understand what it is really happening. The goal of education should always to create the best human being as possible. We should not accept anything but this goal. The movement toward creating a skilled work force is important, but it should never override the other. Teaching literature well is all about showing the various conundrums and mysteries that human beings must face merely by being alive. This is what makes us human. I think we have reason to be concerned with anything that smacks of choosing the "educating worker bees" scenario over the task of creating great human beings.
In America, the real concern would be in denying our disadvantaged (read those who cannot afford good private schools) kids the right to the same type of education as the ruling classes. This has always been our great advantage as a nation. Seems to me, that this new shift appears to be the rich (business leaders) saying, " We don't need good, well rounded, human beings (our own kids will handle that role), what
we need are good workers!"
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