This essay holds the view that despite the success of current policy of Liberal Studies (LS) in enhancing education freedom, further amendments should still be made to enhance its political and educational feasibility.
One of the significant arguments on the amendments in the curriculum is that since the proposed changes would be the government’s decision, amending the curriculum might cause adverse effects to education freedom. Fung and Lui (2017) report LS teachers’ statement that a high degree of freedom is given to teachers when teaching LS, and they are confident that the students’ critical thinking skills could still be encouraged under the current policy. The teachers.criticises the plans proposed by government officials of trimming
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Fok (2016) argues that while the officials have made appreciable effort in evaluating the feasibility of LS, the policy of assessing LS through public examinations could arise disapproval from the public under the “dominance of examination culture” (p. 227). This argument regards the marking inconsistency that might occur due to subjective bias as a contributing factor for such disapproval, and the existence of disapproval is evaluated and found to have been coherent to social reality. Another research study conducted by Fung (2016) states that there might exist some media abuse from the government by the time of LS implementation. The media indicated a supportive stance from the public towards the LS education policy, while verifications to the related claims are inadequate. The evidence suggests that public criticisms against the policy probably have existed during the policy-making stage. However, they might have been overlooked by the officials as they might have been too eager to introduce the subject at that time. Amendments to the curriculum could be essential to address the problems in case the disagreement might accumulate and create resistance in promoting
Vindictive protectiveness is stopping students from learning anything in the four years or more that they spend in college. If they aren’t allowed to speak their mind there is no room for growth. The only thing they are learning is that speech should be under strict control by authorities. Thus teaching them that there really is no freedom of speech under the first
While China is preparing their “new citizens,” the US is changing the education system to fit the culture set up by high stakes and standards-based assessment set up by President George Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (Tobin et al,. 2009, p. 179). As a result, the education system in the United States is focused on regulation, standards, and data-supported instruction and decision making.
Standard testing is a very controversial and important subject because it deals with the progression of the American education system. The practice of these assessments has been highly scrutinized not only for the way it has changed the format of classrooms, but also for its accuracy, pressure, and abundance. In 2001, standardized testing became federally mandated through the No Child Left Behind Act by former president George Bush Jr. According to research from the Council of the Great City Schools, students have been taking “an average of 113 tests from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade” (K. Hefling). These numbers have increased to the point where parents have opted for their children to not attend standardized exams.
In theory these tests are a perfect way to boost the education system but in reality it causes a lot of problems and hasn’t helped all that
The state of Texas has been in a constant struggle within itself over just how to evaluate education, and standardized testing in Texas has been a major influencer in terms of the state’s standards for over thirty years. Though these methods of testing have been utilized for decades, resentment to the tests have been continuously rising among educators, parents, and students, but not everyone agrees. Despite government officials trying to quell these protests with changes to administration, and the way the test itself is formatted and formulated, there seems to have been little to no improvement made and those opposing the tests have started calling for an end to all standardized testing. For one to truly understand this ongoing struggle, one must first look at standardized testing’s beginning, then how government today is trying to fix the broken system, and finally consider the opinions of notable figures in the testing world.
Each method of education can be argued for and against. In Sanford J. Ungar’s essay, “The New Liberal Arts”, his argument supports a liberal arts education. He gives the reader examples of misperceptions of a liberal arts
Here we are taught to listen to others’ advise, take in criticism, and transform our fixed mindset into growth. With this skill we have been taught we are able to do the opposite of the definition, and act according to wish, but we do allow ourselves to be deflected or change our opinions based on facts. The students here have an advantage, but it does not make a large counterpart to the wooden-headedness prevalent in our nation and around the world to make a difference in human
People like former Education Secretary, Arne Duncan are “concerned about testing too, but he has written he "strongly believes" in annual tests as an educational tool” (Kamenetz). Although some people see standards as a positive incentive, students and teachers suffer from the repercussions of standardized testing. Additionally, others also believe that data enforces progression and reform. LaTasha Gandy, supporter of standardized testing, believes that because of standardized testing, data shows who is falling behind and struggling. (Gandy).
In the era of 1940-1949 “read and accept” was no longer an expectation for students, the educators focus on engaging students in different viewpoints as democratic citizens (Sears, 2006). The 1940’s
Over two hundred parents claim to not let a student go through standardized testing. The earliest records of standardized testing come from China, for the subjects of philosophy and poetry. America “copied” the European education system. In the early 20th century, immigrants took “standardized tests”. To determine possible career and where each person stood socially.
451 is a number that all firefighters know by heart in Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451. That number is the temperature that book paper catches on fire. 451 is on a shoulder badge of the firemen and is on the main character Guy Montag shoulder. Montag is a fireman who is pain to burn books that are reported in households. While in today's society, firemen help prevent fires from causing more damage to houses; that is not the case in Fahrenheit 451.
Standardized Tests: Right or Wrong? Diane Ravitch, a historian of education, once said that, “sometimes the most brilliant and intelligent students do not shine in standardized tests because they do not have standardized minds.” These tests have been a part of American education since the mid-1800s(Is the Use), but now, many people are starting to realize that standardized tests are not as convenient as they thought they were. In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act required all schools in the United States to test students in grades two through twelve annually in reading, math, and science(Is the Use). But since then, the U.S. has dropped from 18th in the world in mathematics to 36th, with a similar change in science as well.
The idea of free speech on college campuses and the complications of it stem from those on campuses expressing views that don’t align with popular views. Implications for students who use the idea of free speech as a method for hateful actions and comments should be reprimanded, but the question remains as to whether schools should enforce tougher limitations. The freedom of speech on college campus expands to the freedoms of religion, assembly, press, and protest as well. Freedom of expression allows students to show their own political, social, and cultural views. Removing freedoms of speech and expression have consequences deeper than surface issues.
The book has 26 chapters and can be divided into two parts. This division is not present in the contents and thus is not a structural division per se. The first seven chapters provide a theoretical foundation for democratic education and the later chapters reconstruct the core educational notions upon that foundation.
Education can be explained as the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits, and is the most valuable resource that one could have in life as, firstly, education facilitates learning and critical thinking, secondly, it allows for dreams of the future in terms of success to become a reality and lastly, it prevents the children of today from risking their future due to the influence of environmental hazards (Brooks, 2006). After studying the points discussed, it can be said that education plays an important role in the development of each and every human being and is not on categorized under scholarly education but rather any experience that allows an individual to broaden his/her knowledge. Amy Gutmann, an American political theorist proposed a theory surrounded around the democratic state of education requiring parents and states - to surrender some educational authority to professional education staffs’, also indicating that the children of today do not just benefit from freedom of choice, or identification with and participation in the positive aspects of their family and political aspects of the society. Amy’s theory is based on the characterisation of the three models of educational control namely Locke’s Theory of Parental control,