- The goal of schooling is not “learning”. Students can learn without schools.
- The goal of schooling is not “socializing”. Students can socialize without schools.
- The goal of schooling is to provide third-party assessment and recognition of a student’s learning.
- The quality of a school’s recognition is measured by the reputation of the administration of the school.
- This assessment and recognition should be as efficient as possible, so that the student’s learning remains the focus.
- No activities, assignments or assessment should be required that are not absolutely necessary for developing and demonstrating student mastery.
- Teaching is a convenience, and should only be used where it improves a student’s progress in learning.
- The best school is not that which makes standard assesssment and recognition most difficult, but which makes them most efficient.
- For every subject, the proper goal and objectives must be identified so that efficient assessment of such may be prepared and no unnecessary activity be added. Nothing unnecessary should be allowed to hinder progress in what is necessary.
- Nothing that can be done at an earlier time in a student’s career should be saved for a later time. Education becomes more expensive as a student ages and the best school will be that which allows the student to make the most progress as early as possible. The same outcomes may be obtained at greatly different costs based on when the outcomes were obtained. The more costly the method is, the fewer students will be able to benefit from schooling. This is the growing problem today, where studies that could (and should) be completed in preparatorys school years are being reserved for college.
- Nothing that must be done at a later time should take time away from what can be done at an earlier time. For example, if medical school is required for a physician’s license, a boy should not be studying what must be studied in medical school while he is at home.
- If a degree or license is not necessary for the work one desires to do, it should not be sought because it is an unnecessary hindrance to that work.
- There is no more efficient means of learning than through the study of well-designed books. Whatever can be set into the form of a book for study should be.
- The benefit of a book is that the arrangement of the book, seen in the table of contents, shows the student the order of the subject and allows for efficient, systematic mastery. The student should be able to see the order of the subject in a single image whenever possible. The same is true of topics that constitute the subject.
- That learning from a book is most efficient does not mean that books must be printed on paper. Digital books may often be more efficient than printed books, especially when cost is a limiting factor.
- All subjects can be made more efficient by beiing reduced, as far as possible, into elements. Complex ideas should be divided into simple ideas. It is better to have 100 small steps than 10 large walls to scale.
- Where a subject offers endless depth (e.g., history), it is best to study in layersm where each layer covers the entire range of study (e.g., U.S. History) in greater detail. Moving from outlines to details. It is better for a student to know the entire outline of a subject than to know the details of only one part of it.
- The modern educational system is not efficient. It is, therefore, in need of reform.
- There is often disagreement between what vocations actually require and what the public, schools, colleges and established institutions say is required for vocations. The false statements of the latter are usually owed to corruption.
- Working to “improve” outdated and corrupt schools, colleges and institutions is part of the corruption. Calling for more money, more employees, better facilities, etc., for systems that are fundamentally defective and unnecessary does not have the needs of students as its end, but the benefit of others.
- To reform schooling, new lines of preparation must be made to connect early education with real-world vocations.
- Educational technology has made more efficient lines of preparation possible.
- Digital texts have removed the costs of books as hindrances to student learning.
- Digital communications have removed geographical boundaries to schooling and teaching.
- Models cam be created that show the effects of changing vocations and their relation to modern educational opportunities.
- Many schools are doing what is good for the schools and their employees rather than the students. There is no explanation, for example, why schools serve students only 9 months each year. There is no explanation for why students are gathered into local schools to use digital resources available at home. Activities such as these reveal the corruption of the mission of modern schools.
- Consumers, investors and employers know that modern education is inefficient and corrupt and they are looking not for students who demonstrate success in modern schools, but for students who demonstrate success or promise of success in the actual works. They are looking for quality products and services rather than recognition from modern schools.
- Colleges are also interested in students who can demonstrate promise of success, but they seek to bring those students into their colleges for the college’s benefits and not the students. These students are the agents of reform in schooling because they can create new paths to vocational endpoints.
- Elite students may set their own terms in vocational work because they possess the reality rather than the appearance of success.
- Elite students must learn to direct their own works rather than serve inferior men for the sake of practical convenience, when these inferior men force work to go through them for their own profit, leading to the same corruption of vocations that we see in schools.
- By “corruption” is meant the support of an activity that sets personal gain above that of the common good, to exploit the needs or weaknesses of others for one’s own advancement. For example, knowing that a more efficient means of providing a needed service exists, but concealing it from one’s customers for one’s own financial gain is the corruption of that service. When a college knows that the degree program it offers is unnecessary or more than necessary for students to succeed in their desired vocation, but it continues offering it for the college’s own financial gain, this is the corruption of higher education. When a school knows that more affordable means of education are available, which could benefit all members of a community, but they choose, instead to serve only a small portion of the community for their own convenience and financial gain, this is the corruption of education. When a teacher knows that his students do not need to perform the tasks he requires to demonstrate the knowledge of a subject, but he requires them to do so for his own financial gain or influence, this is the corruption of education.
- Consumers ultimately control this entire process and make reform possible. If they accept corruption, often being corrupt themselves, then corruption is made possible. If they refuse to accept corruption, then corruption dies.
- Consumers determine what the standards will be for the products and services they purchase. They determine not only the financial standards but also the moral standards in all areas. They determine not only what is done, but how it is done.
- Corrupt institutions and individuals direct consumers to continue supporting corrupt programs while ineffectively filing complaints, as if they are dependent on the actions of others for reform. Consumers, however, have no need to complain about problems; they can end them.
- There are three basic divisions of vocations in society: (a) religion, (b) business and (c) government. All three of these can be corrupted and consumers have the power to reform them.
- Education serves all three of these vocational divisions and, consequently, can corrupt them all or be corrupted by them.
- The Classical Liberal Arts Academy is working to reform education and eliminate this corruption.
