Another Crisis of Faith

Less than a year ago, I mentioned the crisis of faith I was having. A recent visit to the book store over the weekend caused me to have another one.

Over the next few weeks, most of the kids in the United States will have returned to school for the 2011 school year. Where they will be tasked, worked, instructed and very occasionally challenged.

Yet, while I walked through the book store, I saw compete sections, full of books on how to pass the test, and certainly more tests than I even thought existed, on everything from elementary Standards of Learning to graduate level entrance exams. But what baffled me is the section on test prep books was, like the section on religion, so much larger than the sections for the base knowledge that goes into the tests. The sections on Math and Science were only slightly smaller than the section on how to start a home business on Ebay. The history section was larger than most sections, yet how many of these exams actually test history to any degree? And how accurate is the testing of history? Especially in Texas?

There were plenty of dictionaries, but most were more interested in the latest video of pabulum than actually reading the story behind the movie.

We lament the degradation of the minds of our children, yet we do not demand of our education system that they actually challenge our children. They are tested, with the most basic of tests, yet cannot think rationally, challenge in a structure manner or draw a rational conclusion that can stand up to any scrutiny.

But they can tell you what Team they are on. And if you do not know what I am talking about, then you probably actually know what the impact of an increase in the Solar Wind means.