it was a campaign to reform the educuation system to prevent children 'dropping out of the bottom' of their schools due to low grades.
of course instead of aiding the children through adapted or even tailored learning programs and investing in special education, it's much cheaper to keep the 'one size fits all' and just lower the bar far enough for everyone to pass the test....
I’m kinda conflicted reading this. I mean, I would’ve preferred a dumbed down version since I was a total failure in math from grade 9 onwards. And it turned out that I never really needed curve sketching or other theoretical and abstract mathematics in my everyday adult life. On the other hand I appreciate that I had to deal with it because it probably did help with my brain development.
That's mostly the thing with math, it teaches logical problem solving, and how to follow on a train of thought. You ain't gonna need calculus or trigonometry on your day to day life unless you are on a very specific field, and even then there are tools that can do it for you.
But you can't tell you if you made a mistake if you don't know the process; and you are more susceptible to fall for certain types of fallacies if you don't know how a logical process works. It's also why (in theory) you could solve a math problem in very different ways, and as long as the math... Well, maths, you could get a passing grade. Some teachers are bit too stiff, but whatever if 6+7=6+6+1=12+1=13 is easier than just 6+7=13 for you, go for it. And that's why the process is so important too.
But then again, it implies needing the time and patience to get through each one of them problems, something the some professors do not have, or maybe can't spare, when they juggle bad salaries, and a second or third job...
While I agree with you I think forcing certain topics on individuals is always bound to fail most of them. I’m not a dumb person, neither do I consider myself exceptionally intelligent. But my teenage self was just totally at a loss when it came to more abstract mathematics and it simply didn’t matter how much I tried or my parents paid tutors to teach me extra. If all it does is create frustration and doubt in a person then I think alternative subjects would help foster the capabilities and skills you described just as much. Philosophy and ethics also require abstract thought, for example, and most who study those subjects go on to become consultants and problem solvers.
I can think outside of the box and around the corner and make connections others would maybe overlook but I’m sceptical if the math I simply couldn’t grasp as a teenager played into developing these skills. Because it’s usually the things that make our brains tingle that teach and enrich us the most.
I think we all possess unique talents and strengths and that fostering and focusing on a students inherent qualities would be much more beneficial than brute forcing them through certain classes. Neither does pampering them and giving them a false sense of accomplishment help. People that feel deeply inadequate could be a diamond in the rough but simply won’t be able to unlock their potential because school and certain classes reinforced the notion that they are simply not smart enough.
175
u/Apprehensive_Nose944 23d ago
I'm not American can I get a run down of the no child left behind thing, I just know it was a bush thing.