Re: [Phys-l] Purpose of education. Was: Re: Kozol fasts to protest NCLB - defense of unions

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@saintmarys.edu>]

Both Bernard and Jack seem to have a particular restrictive ideas as to what 
'to be a productive member of society' means.  Nothing that has been offered 
in response is inconsistent with being a productive member.   One who is not 
socialized into the society won't be productive.  Producing productive 
citizens is far from trivial.

Rick

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bernard Cleyet" <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>
> According to Webster [1822],  Education:  "... a wise and liberal system
> of police *, by which property, and life, and the peace of society are
> secured."
>
> "For the umpteenth time, the only reason for tax-payer supported education 
> is to produce productive members of the society."
>
>
>
> * an argument for paying them more than half police pay?
>
> bc doesn't think so.
>
> p.s. Living w/ a kinder / first grade teacher * has convinced me
> socialization is an important purpose;  remember the book?
>
> All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten is a book of short
> essays <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essay> by Robert Fulghum
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fulghum>, first published in 1986
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986>.
>
> In Sweden children are not enrolled 'till they can read, so I was told
> by a mother.  Much socialization will be complete by then.
>
>
> * She quit sixth after a year, w/ the comment the behaviour was no
> longer age appropriate.
>
>
>
>
> Jack Uretsky wrote:
>
> > This sounds to me like a fundamentalist (I'm confident that Rick
> > is not a fundamentalist) trivialization of the purpose of public
> > education.