EDUCATION MATTERS:Education in a changing world

There was an interesting article in Time magazine recently, titled "How to Build a Student for the 21st Century." It was yet another cautionary tale about how public education is dragging its feet while the rest of society sprints into the future. "The world inside the schoolhouse resembles nothing like the world outside the schoolhouse," the author asserts.

The writer's indictment continues. "There we all are sitting in rows, listening to teacher's lecture, scribbling notes by hand, reading from textbooks that are out of date by the time they are printed." On that last point, I can't help but wonder just how valuable is knowledge that is so transitory, and so easily discarded. But more on that later.

The central question is asked whether "an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the global economy because they can't think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, distinguish good information from bad or speak a language other than English."

Good questions all. Time and technology march on and our kids need to keep up with the beat. But to make new learning and all the gadgets of modern living into the centerpiece of education is, as I see it, a misguided emphasis. The centerpiece of education has been, and should always be, the study of our own humanity in all of its social, psychological, political, moral, ethical, spiritual and philosophical manifestations.

The technological marvels, scientific breakthroughs and groundbreaking innovations count for very little if our children are not grappling with the fundamental questions of their own humanity. What have we gained in a world that advances in giant technological leaps but remains ignorant of moral and ethical dilemmas that are central to our existence here on this Earth? What good is instant access to all the knowledge in this world if we do not develop the means to place that knowledge in its proper human perspective?

The charge is made that we must prepare our students to be able to function in a global economy by bringing what we teach into the 21st century. We can do this, according to the current oracles of education, by emphasizing the following skills: