10 replies to this topic

[voltaire]

I have just watched a trailer on the doco about US education, titled "Waiting for Superman" by the makers of "An Inconvenient Truth". The premise is about the need for an education that lifts US children from a ranking close to 30th in the world. An "educator" talked about being "stupider" than others. "Stupider", heaven help us! What ever happened to the English language? When education is entrusted to the illiterate than it is the blind leading the blind. I see news people using "off of" instead of "from" all the time and I cringe. A nation will progress on education and should be its main priority BUT when the educators themselves are illiterate than what hope is there.

[TradingUp]

When education is entrusted to the illiterate than it is the blind leading the blind.

Hmm... "THAN it is...." ???????

[NAV]

When education is entrusted to the illiterate than it is the blind leading the blind.

Hmm... "THAN it is...." ???????

[iloli way]

I see no real problem in "language evolution". Do we speak English like Shakespeare or people did in Victoria Era? Language is living thing, let it evolve. I do get your point about the quality of US education. Hec, since when I can enjoy or tolerate Jerry Springer Show? The answer is NEVER. Can I change the taste of populace? as little as I can. The real problem of US education is bigger than language. It's the value of ACCOUNTABILITY lack of. So, the personal responsibility went out before that, the effort-reward law went out before that, what's left is a huge massive "confusion" of any real value system, being demonstrated from top to bottom all levels of leaderships and followers. Rambo or Superman are all part of that deviated distorted value that can not withstand any real criticism, but hang on to because nothing else left better than drifting wood. I believe true values can only be found in world history and science. Sure easier said than done.

Edited by iloli, 11 October 2010 - 07:45 AM.

[Iblayz]

A nation will progress on education and should be its main priority BUT when the educators themselves are illiterate than what hope is there.

And I can imagine an English teacher looking at that sentence, cringing, and offering some suggestions.

A nation will progress on education and [education] should be its main priority[,] BUT when the educators themselves are illiterate[, then] what hope is there[?]

or

A nation will progress on education [when education is] its main priority[,] BUT when the educators themselves are illiterate[, then] what hope is there[?]

Just goes to show you that what you see in public or what you hear/read in a public forum is not necessarily representative of the abilities (or lack of) of the writer/speaker.

Edited by Iblayz, 11 October 2010 - 08:03 AM.

[CallMeIshmael]

When education is entrusted to the illiterate than [sic] it is the blind leading the blind.

M. Voltaire, I know English is not your native language so I offer this in the spirit of friendly criticism. The word is then not than.

[CallMeIshmael]

I see no real problem in "language evolution". Do we speak English like Shakespeare or people did in Victoria Era? Language is living thing, let it evolve.

So are there to be no standards? Why bother teaching English at all? For that matter, why bother teaching anything? Let's just let the little kiddies make it up as they grow. Who knows, maybe some of them might even manage to survive. So much for posterity. Oy vay!

Edited by CallMeIshmael, 11 October 2010 - 09:32 AM.

[Rogerdodger]

"I have just watched a trailer on the doco about US education" That's the point of the thread. (which should be under Health and Sanity, not trading forecasts) The government educational system has had to dumb down it's standards to keep the maximum number of kids in school which in turn keeps the maximum amount of government funds flowing to that school. If you want schools to improve, reward the schools for performance, not the number of bodies. Likewise, teachers should be rewarded for merit, and while we are at it, abolish the teacher's unions which stand in the way of our children's future.

Edited by Rogerdodger, 11 October 2010 - 09:42 AM.

[Rogerdodger]

There is plenty of blame to go around without naming political parties. Let's leave it that. Thanks.

[CallMeIshmael]

There is plenty of blame to go around without naming political parties.
Let's leave it that.
Thanks.

Okay. I hear ya. Here it is without the political parties.

Let's outlaw all public employee unions. Why are we allowing union thugs to hold our public policy hostage and subvert our republic? No unions. No union dues. No union dues paying off politicians to siphon off trillions of dollars of public monies, not to mention pirating of entire industries (not just individual companies) by our dictatorial government to feed the coffers of their political suppporters. When did we become Venezuela? Let's send those union thugs to prison where they belong along with the politicians who do their bidding.

No need to name names. We all know who we're talking about.