'It's not necessary to know that. Just study what the teacher teaches. Don't waste your time memorizing all that.'
This, dear readers, was the typical dismissive reply accompanied with a dismissive wave of a hand that came from several of my friends when I asked questions such as why copper was such a good conductor, or what is tangent, sine, and cosine in a right-angled triangle. To them, all that they needed to know is that copper is the second best conductor after silver, and the formulas to calculate the tangent, sine, and cosine in a right-angled triangle. As for the why and what of it... Who cares?
Notice anything lacking?
Like Ethan said in his post, A textbook example, all that students need to know has been encapsulated into textbooks. All they need to know, people. Which literally means: No more, no less.
Few students ever questioned the why and how of things nowathesedays, but hey, who can blame them? From the students' point of view, if it doesn't show up on the test papers, it's not necessary to know. And if it's not necessary to know, why bother reading it up?
I may not be in a right position to say it, for I too am guilty of it, but sometimes I'm amazed at the height of ignorance. Take for instance this incident: I once sent my friend an e-mail regarding the (in)famous President of the United States of America. The next day, he came up to me and asked: 'Who is this George Bush?'
Words failed me...
Curiousity drove Thomas Edison to find out how to make a lightbulb, which in turn made him the father of inventors. Curiousity also drove Isaac Newton to find out why that apple went down instead of up, which in turn led him to discover gravity. In fact, learning and curiousity nearly always come together, and it's also a fact that a curious person always learns better than one who is not.
Just like a seed of faith, a seed of curiousity can go a long way. And if that seed of curiousity was planted into students, can you imagine the difference it would make?
'The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiousity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.' Anatole France
Take curiousity out of education, what do you get?
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5 comments:
What? What? =)
Food for thought, Ethan :D
People who'd make good accountants.
you get the malaysian education system, that's what! =P
we've got to comment on formal education as well as informal education. people need to see that schools are NOT the be-all answer. everyone can make up for what is lacking within the school's 4-walls with a huge dose of informal education outside school. that's how so many have succeeded despite the poor education system they were brought up in...
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