..stupid..
July 3, 2008 by Holst Group
Edward de Bono’s Message
“The apparent purpose of education is to convince two thirds of the population that they really are stupid”
“Schools waste two thirds of the talent in society and universities sterilise the other third.”
These quotes of mine may sound harsh and provocative but they are serious. Up to one third of youngsters (sometimes more) do well enough at school to go on to tertiary education and professional jobs. The remainder leave school with the notion that they are indeed ’stupid’. This self-image stays with them for the rest of their lives.
That is why teaching thinking for just five hours to unemployed youngsters on the Government New Deal programme increased the employment rate five hundred per cent. These youngsters suddenly realised they were not stupid at all.
That is why all schools should teach thinking and operacy as a core subject.
What is operacy?
I was beginning to feel stupid!
Chander – operacy is defined by Dr de Bono as the ’skill of doing’. It is a word created by Dr de Bono which can go alongside literacy and numeracy. No need to feel stupid – you won’t even find it in the dictionary…yet!
What I love about Dr. de Bono is his PO on the issues we face education. And by PO I mean Provocative Opinion! I have found and come to love Dr de Bono’s techniques such as The Six Thinking Hats, PO, and Value Medals but, to much personal frustration, have not found many interested parties in education.
We in education focus on teaching, because teaching is what we do, what we know, and what we can control. We mistakenly measure our teaching using tests that measure, not teaching, but learning.
Education needs to flip the question from “How do we improve teaching?” to “How do we improve learning?” Learning takes place anywhere, any time, and various rates, and from multiple sources. Teaching takes place in one place, at one time, from one source. Imagine how much education could improve if we Provocatively asked…”How can students learn for themselves.?” Hmmm…
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