The Art of Education

Bob Herbert’s column in yesterday’s New York Times is disturbing, but not surprising. Just a month ago at the same time Harry Potter’s latest adventure was released, I read articles declaring success statistics for “No Child Left Behind”. But according to a report from the Program for International Assessment, basic reading and math skill of American kids rank 24 out of 29 countries. And low income children in the U.S. were testing at about three grade levels behind “non-poor” students. Bottom line: only two thirds of American kids who enter high school, graduate from high school and those that graduate do not have sufficient reading skills to enter college. A few think tanks have offered solutions to America’s ever-increasing education crisis (yes, it IS a crisis): things like more hours per day in school, getting highly qualified teachers in all schools, national curriculum standards.

Okay, but school isn’t the only place where children learn. A child can sit in school 24 hours a day and if there’s no desire to learn or interest in the information presented, all the teaching in the world will not make an impression. I don’t think this is an education issue, this is a societal issue. If parents or families don’t (or can’t) lay the groundwork by instilling and perpetuating a sense of value and appreciation for reading or math skills, the prospect of the institution making a difference in the child’s life is pretty much doomed. Education in America is centered around delivering information, testing, sitting in a classroom and scheduling how much time is spent on one topic; but learning is accomplished through inspiration, nurturing and following a child’s curiosity. It’s not just about the child’s head, it’s about the child’s whole being. I think when we realize that education is communal and not institutional, we will begin to succeed in improving these statistics.