Depressing thoughts on education

During his State of the Union speech, the President asked Congress to extend the NCLB act. And I came to the conclusion that the government does not want to improve education in this country. We can win small battles, but I don't see a way out of the big problem.

And what's most annoying is that we know how to make things better. I read Dewey, and Piaget, and Vygotsky, and Papert. I read all the contemporary stuff too. There are many people who know how to make things better, and furthermore, they put it in writing. But we are just not doing it. We are not ALLOWED to do it, you see. It's as if engineers came out with an internal combustion engine, but the government said, "eh, no thanks, we are good with the horse and buggy." That's what it's like with education. And here is my cynical explanation for the reasons behind it - educated people make educated decisions. They overthrow corrupt governments, they vote for politicians who truly promote their interests and enhance their utility. Those in power cannot allow for that, and are working hard to keep the socioeconomic divide as extensive as possible.

What annoys me most is when people tell me, or imply to me, that American children are stupid. That is not true. American children are not stupid. They just get a very inadequate education. They are not taught to be creative thinkers, to analyze information and to form their own conclusions. In fact, our current pedagogical structure encourages just the opposite - it is based solely on retention and regurgitation. No time to ask "why," just remember this in time for the standardized exam. And then, we are surprised and upset when those children grow up to become adults who believe news reports and advertisements.

Something needs to happen. But I'm at a loss.