Reflections on Changing Education Paradigm

The video above is an animated version of Sir Ken Robinson's lecture entitled, "Changing Education Paradigm". He talks about how current education system was modeled on the ideas of the Enlightenment (and that was seven centuries ago!) in which there is only one form of intelligence. This is the basis of standardized tests and standardized curriculum -- and grades too! And intelligence as a resource is used as a driving force for one thing -- economic gain.

"Education is modeled on the interests of industrialisation and in the image of it." -- Sir Ken Robinson

But, this type of education system is no longer appropriate in the present context and era! And in fact, it's alienating most people whose capacity and learning does not conform with the standards of the Enlightenment. And as Sir Robinson suggests:

"If you are interested in the model of education you don't start from this production line mentality.It's (production line mentality) essentially about conformity -- increasingly about that as you have standardised testing and standardised curriculum. And it's about standardisation. I believe we need to go exactly the opposite direction. That's what I mean about changing the paradigm."

(parentheses mine)

Great ideas have stemmed up from people who did not conform. These people challenged conformity and the generally accepted ideas of the time. What would've happened if Copernicus just accepted the geocentric model of the solar system? Or Darwin just followed the creationist trend of his era? Or if Einstein was too overwhelmed to challenge the widely accepted Laws of Physics by Newton?

These people revolutionized the world and they didn't even follow the hegemonic education system. We know that Darwin was kicked out from his program -- but that didn't stop his love for learning. And we know that Einstein couldn't even speak until he was 9! But he has the most amazing mind there ever was on Earth. And what about Andy Warhol? One of the greatest artists of our time? If you're using Pop Art anywhere -- then you are using the forte of Andy Warhol. And he has an IQ of less than 80!

But IQ is just a bunch of "standardized" tests made by certain people who don't really take account of the multiple ways of knowledge, learning and talent in this world. I don't think they even tried to learn about other people. But a lot of people are walking around the world who do not recognize (or just gave up on) their brilliance because the world says brilliance is only this and only that.

We have a specific way to gauge brilliance. Those who top Maths are considered brilliant -- but those who can spew epic riffs on their guitar are considered not as good as the Math Whiz. And I don't understand why. All forms of learning have skills, talent and brilliance embedded in them. There is no such thing as one form of intelligence. And Sir Robinson says so too!

I remember Rick Scott of Florida who commented that anthropologists are not needed in his state. Further saying that more graduates from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) should be produced for economic purposes. I wrote a blog about it here.

But why should learning be inhibited by the market? By something that is as whimsical and constantly changing as the Philippine weather? 5 years ago a lot of people took up Nursing for economic purposes -- but now, those people can't have jobs.

Einstein didn't theorize Relativism for the sole purpose of industrialization and economy. Neither did the other amazing minds that existed on Earth -- Boas, Newton, Darwin, etc. Economy isn't everything.

And by inhibiting education, we are also inhibiting the different forms of ideas and thoughts from springing up. By saying that there is just one answer, we are limiting creativity. Just imagine the tons of ideas and inventions that people could come up with if society didn't teach them to only think in one particular (authorized and sanctioned) way.

I have written the superficiality of diploma (here) and grades (here) somewhere else so I won't repeat them here.

Anyway, this is one of my favorite lines from the talk:

"Why is there an assumption that what they have in common is how old they are? Is this the most important thing? The date of manufacture?"

We have to change our idea of a monolithic learning system in education. We have to change the education paradigm. And here's an Indian movie that resonates Sir Robinson's ideas in his talk. The title is Every Child is Special.