Smedumikation, indoctrination, and damned lies

You all know I occasionally harp on about the BS levels we have in our current, propaganda indoc, system.

Lets step back in time a bit, say to 1982, when I was a freshman in HS.
We had a choice of classes that was pretty eclectic for a HS that had a graveyard on one side of the Football field and a Cornfield on the other. As a freshman I had the choice of several introductory courses including one called "Industrial Arts". This course was divided up into 4 quarters each covering one topic: Metal working, wood working, Graphic communications/photography, and Industrial drafting (using T-squares and protractors!!!! This was before CAD ) These courses were set up to introduce you to the concepts only and potentially inspire you to further study and even potentially a career in one of the said fields. Each course had two follow ups that advanced the knowledge gained in the intro. None of them could be complete without an outside source to further it. Anyone that knows anything about any of the above trades, knows that there is no way to teach every aspect of them in less than 4 years and more often than not, a lifetime. These are trades where when you 'know it all', you still learn something new, everyday.

But why teach these courses at all? Especially when there is so little actual industry in this country anymore.

Did our school board see something was coming and tried to establish a new curriculum to compensate? I highly doubt it. Fact that within 2 years of my graduation they sold off all of the machines: Lathes, Vertical Mills, furnaces, casting supplies, wood working tools, even the platen presses (that were made in 1885 and still functioned as if they were made the day before. Big Gorgeous pieces of cast iron with neat scroll work and solid as granite. ) All of it, Gone! (and I am sure there were a couple of small shops that were ecstatic to get the stuff)

Nope, my school was still a throwback to the mid to late 50's, at least in that department. And for that, I am happy. If I had gone to a more modern school, I may not have received the education I did get. I may never have woken up, and I damned well wouldn't have become the perpetual student that I am. I may never learn everything that I was put on this earth to learn, but I will do my damned best trying. Still, I have to wonder where all of the education in this country has gone to.

Now, the Education system has been hijacked by unions intent only in furthering power, with very little in the way of education in intent. There are probably good teachers out there with intent to actually do what teachers should do, but I bet they don't last long. If they do last, its usually by falling into the role forced upon them by the unions, forgetting (forced to actually) the intended role of a teacher. As in my case, quitting before ever taking the role when I realized the direction that the education system was headed.

Teachers are supposed to teach, that should be blatantly obvious, just in the title. Parents are also part of that as they should be teaching too. The teachers fill in where the Parent lacks, but Teachers also have another role that goes one step beyond that of the parent. Inspiration. Teachers should inspire students to want to learn. A good teacher is able to adapt the program to a student, without sacrificing other students ability. A great teacher inspires the mind.

We still have some great teachers in our schools I am certain. Sadly they are far and few between. I would bet, with good odds I might add, that there are more in private and catholic schools by a large margin, in comparison to that in the public sector. (yet which one gets more money? Shows that real teachers aren't in it for the money doesn't it?)

Now lets go back in time a bit further. All the way back to the 1900's, turn of the century. Public schools only taught to the 8th grade. Signs of that are still in our public school system as you cross out of "middle school" into the "higher school" and shows by the terms Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. Higher school was strictly for those that showed promise for further education. The higher school was intended for those that would go to college. The fact that the education through the 8th was much more intense than we see now, shows that education was an incredibly serious matter to those in the system. (if you can dig one up, find an english primer, or math primer from that time period. Bet even those with degrees will find the curriculum difficult. ) But kids would only be in there early teens once leaving "middle school": what did they do then.

Many went to work. Either for their parents or family. Many would apprentice out to trades: Blacksmithing, Foundry work, Farrier work, Cooper wrights, Dockworkers, day laborers, etc etc etc. Yes, the work was hard, yes the conditions sucked, yes the pay sucked (in the case of apprentices, none or just a stipend. The education received was a payment.) Apprentices might spend 4-6 years under one 'Master' before going out as "journeymen". There is a reason for those names. Journeymen were masters of ONE particular area of their trade. They would travel about to gain more experience, either to return to the shop of their start, or to strike off on their own when they felt competent enough. THIS was how trades progressed. How ideas were spread. Yes, it was a slow form, but the crafts grew stronger for it. The weaker of the breed would fall the wayside to mere existence, while the true masters would gain more knowledge and further the craft for the entire field. Word of mouth was a huge factor in how well a craftsman would grow.

Today, this practice is still in use in some of the 'black arts' like blacksmiths and foundry workers, though only in the private small scale places. A journeyman may have to travel across the entire country to find ONE shop to work in to gain new knowledge.

But all of this was killed a long time ago by regulations and Feel good policy's. Kick me all you want, no, I don't want my granddaughter growing up to work in a sweatshop anymore than any of you want your kids doing the same. BUT you have to admit, there is a serious gap in knowledge these days. How many people working on an assembly line understand the craftsmanship that went into casting and machining a part that they are putting on XXXX? How many of the "machinists" today understand how to manually cut a thread, or various other operations that they have learned how to program a CC machine to do?

How many Fryguys at McDonalds know how to run a short order restaurant?

One other aspect of working as an apprentice was learning ALL about the business. Not just swinging that hammer or running the bellows; but keeping the books, taking care of custom, (there is an interesting run in semantics for you. Custom. At one point EVERYTHING you did was "for the Custom(er)" where as now, Custom is a one off and everything else is cookie cutter and customers are just walking liquid assets.)

WE have devolved as a nation. It didn't take long either considering the nature of how they did it.

Smedumikation baby. Teach a person that they are 'special' and that they don't have to strive to achieve and you have 'em hook, line, and sinker for the rest of their lives.
Indoctrination: Teach em only what you want them to know, not how to figure it out for themselves: instant slave.
Bold faced lies: after the first two are inplace, Lies are nothing more than reinforcement towards and end. Keep them working at a no end place with no growth potential, keep em paying into a system that is far beyond house odds. Keep feeding the lies.

When all of this falls apart, those of us with skills are going to have to incorporate that old style of learning again.

Are you ready to teach what you know?