The very best way to assemble a conspiracy theory is by
reverse engineering. Start with an observation, for example: today’s kids are
dumb. Then examine what they are being taught; common core maths is
incomprehensible to the older generations and is immediately suspect. Now, dig back
in history to find some statements, some events, to ‘prove’ it. The 1909 Woodrow
Wilson address to the New York City High School Teachers Association Fits the
brief nicely:
“we want one class of persons to have a liberal
education, and we want another class of persons, a very much larger class, of
necessity, in every society, to forego the privileges of a liberal education
and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks.”
Hey presto, a one hundred-year long conspiracy to keep
the low animals down, the pigs in power and restrict the potential of the
majority of the human race in what are generally referred to as ‘developed’
countries. But, of course, Wilson was laying no such foundation. Read as part
of the whole he was setting out, very eloquently as it happens, what we all know, or ought
to be capable of understanding. And that is that not every student is capable
of achieving high academic learning and even if they were, such learning is
often of little practical use. We need a thousand people who can measure and
cut and shape things, for every mathematician who can explain precisely what the
numbers mean.
Another conjoined meme that regularly does the rounds is
on the lines of “Governments don’t want an intelligent population because
people who can think critically can’t be ruled. They want a public just smart
enough to pay taxes and dumb enough to keep voting.” Variously attributed to H
L Mencken, George Carlin and others, it is a popular expression of a
deep-rooted mistrust of government that appears to seek the opinion of the
masses but then does the exact opposite, or so frustrates that opinion that it
amounts to the same thing. Such a shame I can’t quite put my finger on any
topical examples just now...
Anyway, as much as common core maths seems ridiculous and intended to dumb
‘the kidz’ down I’m of a more generous inclination in assigning it to
the category of ‘well-meaning idiocy’.
Just as Woodrow Wilson was talking about education preparing children
for a useful life in the world, today’s educators are seeking to equip them, as
efficiently as they believe possible, with the tools to negotiate an uncertain
future. They’re just not as good at it as they would wish to be. Spoiling the
child by sparing the rigour has long been a feature of ‘progressive’ education
that strives to deliver a socio-political ethos as well as an education.
We don't need no...
But are they so very wrong, after all? We are in an age
when one can make a living out of doing nothing very useful at all. The
commentariat, the world of social justice, the equality and diversity industry
and the new, burgeoning work for idle hands, exploring the myriad inventive
gender identities which are multiplying by the day. Maybe, when the machines
finally do take over all the grunt work, we will indeed need more products of a
liberal education. What could possibly go wrong?
