Something the Dalai Lala said about education... (kindergarten, schools, pay)

[Yeledaf]

..that has stuck in my mind:

"I have always had this view about the modern education system: we pay attention to brain development, but the development of warmheartedness we take for granted."

I can't help but think that there's a lot in what he says. Your thoughts?

[golfgal]

I get what he is saying but I disagree that we pay attention to brain development too. Kids are getting pushed to do things earlier and earlier and their brains just aren't ready to do the tasks. There was an article in the Minneapolis paper just last week stating that they are pushing to have all kindergartners reading by the end of kindergarten. Well, that is a lofty goal but not all kids are READY to ready by then. Having all kids reading by the end of first grade is a more reasonable, and achievable, goal. I really feel bad for the kids that aren't ready to read by the end of kindergarten yet the schools say they should be.

California enacted that all 8th graders have to pass Algebra, a subject more commonly taught in 9th or 10th grade. Again, lofty goal outside of normal brain development for most kids.

Yes, there will be PLENTY of kids that can do both of these and THIS is what is wrong with education today-they have eliminated tracking, allowing the advanced kids to move along at a pace that is good for them, letting the average kids move at a pace good for them, and letting the slower kids move along at a pace good for them. If they allowed kids to move at a proper pace, test scores would climb dramatically.

[jtur88]

Another way of saying what I've been saying for a long time. We have made great advances in knowledge, but none at all in wisdom.

The Dalai Lama is an interesting figure in contemporary history. He is not the only wise man in the world, but he is the only one who gets quoted when he says something wise.