Education: On what is relevant what is not

Education: On what is relevant what is not

Janpha Thadphoothon Ed D

The genesis of the title comes from the many bewilderments I have had on several educational issues, including this recent one. This recent puzzlement is this --- what should be taught to the students or what the students should learn and master. Simple and straight forward as it may appear, many of us get into it and may not realize how complex and ancient the issue has been around in the academia.

Some academics argue for the practicality of what should be mastered. Weed out what is irrelevant and only focus on what is essential. But this belief and conviction has several flaws. I once talked to a university lecturer about this. She told me that calculus and the like is not necessary for business students. "What's the use of calculus?" I asked her, 'but what should they learn?' She said "mathematics is okay, but not calculus." She added, "they won't need it."

Even though I was not a math teacher, I was stunned and uneasy by such the belief. Another example is from my own experience. Recently, may literature courses have been either been ignored and put aside as outdated subjects. They argue that literature does not have any relevance to the modern world. Surely, the fail to appreciate the fact that literature is the mirror of one's society.

This linear thinking paradigm is spreading wide and fast. What's wrong with this? Many may wonder. Isn't it natural and commonsense that we should only learn what will be needed in the future in our workplace? The obvious flaw in this assertion lies in its flaw to assume the existence of a static future. The future is slippery. Factors beyond control are abundant. The cheese might have been moved or the rules might be changed.

A seasoned professor of education has this to note: Teachers, nowadays, cannot tell their students what will happen what what they students will be doing. In short, they do not know the future. In fact, nobody does. The best bet teachers can do is to help the students to become what he calls 'self-taught learner' - a person who is capable of teaching him or herself.

Sadly, many do not regard calculus and literature as thinking-enable subjects or sciences. The future-oriented pedagogy or education-for-the-future mentality is perhaps counterproductive. Literature, like history, cannot be overlooked or ignored.