Chile Forum

This is an article about how and why the compulsory education system in the US was created, the one that "dumbs down people" in order to keep them being part of the economic system as "unthinking masses". I don't mean to offend anyone with this, since compulsory education is everywhere and as westerners we are, we have similar education systems everywhere.

http://www.naturalnews.com/023215.html

I really like that website btw; it has lots of news that for some may sound like conspiration theories, but they are the plain truth... like some articles about big pharma, big oil and junk food I read when the site was called newstarget.com.

Good article.

Indeed, thanks for posting it but perhaps it would fit better in the "state of the states" thread.

I have always thought this.. I find the education system robs children of their creativity and individuality .. i like it when a student questions me.. even if it makes me look like a fool its ok as far as i am concerned cos THAT'S how they learn.. from questioning the system.. from thinking outside the box..

this is GREAT presentation from Education guru Sir Ken Robinson
enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

I have to say that the article really surprised me. I attended public high school in the Minneapolis suburbs and that article simply does not describe my educational experience. The high school I attended encouraged creativity and openly engaging in debate with teachers, offered numerous political science, philosophy, creative writing, etc., courses that were meant to encourage students to think on their own and question the status quo. Perhaps I was in a highly unique school without knowing so, but I do know that the education system, as the article describes it, is in stark contrast to the education I received in a public high school.

Having gone to school in the UK, (Catholic, nuns then Christian brothers through age 16) I can readily relate to the programming aspect of the article. They however didn't encourage the consumerism that I see rampant here in the US. That I believe to be taught by the TV.

MikieO wrote: They however didn't encourage the consumerism that I see rampant here in the US. That I believe to be taught by the TV.

i think that the point of the article is that by making non thinking people schools create the mindset that will buy (pun in 10 did) into whatever the mass media push. ie schools punish the independent thinkers (originally all of us) as being 'dumb', if you want to rid yourself of the 'dumb' label then go along with the crowd. smart people do what everybody else does. that mindset continues into adulthood where you vote, buy, invest and work where and how everybody else does. after all 10 million people cant be wrong, no?
jon