As we deal with the plethora of challenges that are defining 2020, it is a great opportunity to consider what is working or not working in our education system. Colleges are in peril as COVID-19 threatens face-to-face learning, sports, campus life, etc.—as well as the economic future of many institutions and the jobs of countless faculty. K-12 is scrambling to determine what is safe and appropriate in class scheduling and sports/extracurriculars. In addition, we are seeing nasty battle brewing over “cancel culture”. It is becoming increasingly apparent that we are failing at education. This is not to fault the countless capable and dedicated teachers. Rather, it is a critique of politicians and lawnmower parents who made teaching young people increasingly difficult.
It is my humble opinion, as a college educator, that we have dismissed education for graduation rates and financial “stability”. We confer degrees and diplomas with little concern over the quality of that piece of paper. Politicians want to see graduation rates climb and suggest that standardized tests are an accurate measure of learning. Parents don’t want to see their child struggle and pressure teachers to inflate grades. As such, when I student arrives on his/her college campus. He/She is most concerned with the grade and the diploma and not with how college can change them for the better.
Education should, like a good sermon, “disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed”. As such, we must create thinkers (rather than simply promoting recall) and must challenge the status quo. Students should be made to struggle and afforded the help through those struggles. As faculty, we must not see ourselves as the source of knowledge. Rather we should see ourselves as the conduit to knowledge. We must also accept that our knowledge is not infallible. We should be open to having our instruction challenged. (I encourage my students to challenge me. I expect though that they be able to present a stronger argument than mine—one that is based in solid physiology.)
Students should feel uncomfortable. At the same time, though, they should not feel oppressed or marginalized.
High school graduation requirements in Oregon (the state in which my children are being educated) include four credits in English (English 9, 10, 11, and one credit of English selective), three credits in social studies (one credit of US History and one credit of World Civilizations), three credits of mathematics, three credits of science, one and a half credits of physical education (unless medically excused), and half a credit of health. A minimum of 23 credits is thus required. As well, graduates are required to complete 40 hours (10 per year) of community service.
In college, students will be required to take up to 60 credits (quarter system) of “general education”. The content varies somewhat from school to school, but general span the natural and social sciences to broaden the education experience. It is well-intended, and, personally, I am a proponent of a liberal education (“liberal” should not be confused with the political divide between liberal—i.e., progressive—and conservative; indeed, liberal should suggest a breadth of views and experiences), but it can be flawed by faculty protectionism, the rise of community colleges, and the increasing number of high schools allowing double-dipping with college credits.
As we see the cost of a college education continuing to skyrocket whilst pushing more and more kids into college it might be time to reconsider how we are administering education. I am not of the opinion that “free” college is going to fix anything. If anything, it will magnify the problem as we continue to offer insignificant degree programs and seek to fill them. I would suggest, instead, that we strengthen K-12 and, thus, decrease the need for higher education.
Our Canadian neighbors already have a K-13 system, why not add a year to the U.S.’s system? As a college professor, I have observed a steady decline in math and writing comfort and competency over my career. These competencies come with practice and (challenging) experience. I consistently find students to be fearful of mathematics, in particular. Watching politics and social discourse unfold on social media (the modern gauge of civic competency), it is frightening how little we really know (for many of us, perhaps, remember). Looking at high school standards, it is not surprise.
Adding a year to high school can have a lot of benefits for the upcoming generations. For many, this year would be a sufficient substitute to college (certainly, there is a great need for tradespeople). We could do well to double up on social/civics studies. Science and inquiry skills could likewise be bolstered. (In the digital age, information abounds, but the capacity to think critically is lacking.) Our young could stand to have more physical education/activity (even without adding a year to the present K-12 system). Then, there are sports and extracurriculars. Few students will have opportunities beyond high school. Having an additional year to develop Physically, Emotionally, and Socially, as well as Intellectually, can be of great benefit.
As my theme is always one of “well-centered fitness”, I would be amiss to neglect the Spiritual dimension. The scale of high school is a great opportunity to teach our young people that they are a part of something greater than self—e.g., family, school, community, state, nation, world, and Universe. It is an opportunity to breakdown the barriers that divide us. This puts the onus, however, on the educators and the education system to not create these divisions—instead, educators must be held accountable for encouraging free and independent thinking.
Honest and respectful discourse is at the heart of a liberal education. The result of an education should not simply be a degree. Instead, the result should be a generation that is capable of coming together to resolve the issues that the preceding generations have yet to remedy. Education should not be divisive, and it should not be stagnant. Education is the path to a better world.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!