the foundation of all that follows
I've concluded that genius is as common as dirt. We suppress genius because we haven't yet figured out how to manage a population of educated men and women. The solution, I think, is simple and glorious. Let them manage themselves.
Many students have an aversion to the rigid structure and monotonous curriculum of school, yet all children love to learn, instinctively taking it up without instruction or prodding (eg. spatial cognition, walking, speaking, block building, drawing, etc.). Optimal learning at any age seems to me a function of play, observation, and experimentation motivated by individual interest and need, not forced memorization of arbitrary subjects rolled out at a snail's pace (remember how the school year seemed to drag on for ages while summer vacation sailed by like a day at the beach?).
So why does the industrialized, one-size-fits-all model prevail despite its obvious inferiority? The answer becomes apparent upon looking into the origins.
Compulsory education was founded on "The Prussian System", developed to produce obedient soldiers for King Frederick III after he got thoroughly wrecked by Napoleon in the Battle of Jena, ceding half the Prussian territory to France. This new educational model proved effective for its purpose and was subsequently picked up by many other countries for not just military use but to supply compliant factory workers for the burgeoning industrial economy, being founded and financed by the top oligarchs of the day like John Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie.
I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is mass psychology... Its importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda. Of these the most influential is what is called 'education.' Religion plays a part, though a diminishing one; the press, the cinema, and the radio play an increasing part.... Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions are generated … It may be hoped that in time anybody will be able to persuade anybody of anything if he can catch the patient young and is provided by the State with money and equipment.
Today, U.S. public schools spend around $15,000 per student per year, third globally, yet rank 25th in math, science, and reading. Approximately 20% of high school graduates are functionally illiterate.
So over the course of 12 years, $180,000 and a mind-numbing 14,000 hours are spent per student in the institution plus countless hours of homework to learn... what, exactly? Imagine the enormous potential if even half that time were used efficiently to nurture critical thinkers who can independently tap into their own creativity at will. That may sound infeasible, but consider what could be achieved without all the misdirection and useless memorization required by schools that function largely as socialized daycare for corporations. It is absolutely staggering to think what might be.
If that weren't enough, even mathematics is now considered subjective as any answer may be deemed "right" so long as the student follows the mandated steps (2+2=5!). In place of real knowledge and hard science, social engineering has overtly become the main objective, even at the primary level. Intuition and history signal that political agendas pushed through state-run education camps will not end well, regardless how benevolent the educators or parents may believe the intentions. As Albert Camus put it, "The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience."
It is one of the defects of modern higher education that it has become too much a training in the acquisition of certain kinds of skill, and too little an enlargement of the mind and heart by an impartial survey of the world.
The economics of a college degree have also radically changed in the last 30 years due to a several-fold inflation of cost, a substantial increase of degrees in the market, and the real value of many of these degrees to employers. At the same time there have been sweeping changes in the employment landscape due to job displacement and automation (with AI being the next massive disruption in the pipe). A quick analysis of cost-to-value shows that many degrees are not worth anywhere near the price when measured strictly by return on investment. The inherent value of the material learned is subjective to each individual, but all of that material can be found in the library or online at little to no cost if simply learning is the objective.
So, what are the best options for someone considering where to spend time and money on learning things that might help them develop their full human potential? We'll explore that here going forward, so please send this on to anyone making this important decision.
resources
The Underground History of American Education by John Taylo Gatto
Low Tech / High Return by Gregg Brazel
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