Bryan Caplan makes the case in his new book that students are regularly bored, and much of what they learn in school is not very useful. I would add that not only is much of it not very useful, but that a non-negligible portion of it is wrong, false and harmful to developing our children’s reasoning skills. Here is the latest example from my son’s 5th grade class (and yes, emails asking if they would learn about “alternative views” or why so much energy focused on this particular issue and not other more important ones, have yet to be responded to):
Hello Parents,[Our school] is excited for students to participate in our next STEAM Center Event, called “RECYCLE IT!”, happening February 27th, 28th , and March 2nd! In our upcoming event, students will learn about “Single Stream” Recycling. In our Recycling Lab, students will simulate the recycling experience using VEX Robots to sort recyclables. Students will also cycle through stations where they will learn about what happens to plastics, glass, metals, and paper once they leave the Recycling Centers.This event’s success relies on the help of our awesome volunteers! Volunteers are needed to help students with:
- Robots (Students will be using the robots to sort recyclables into bins so volunteers would need to observe and assist.)
- Help lead a recyclable station with a craft (Explain to students what happens at the processing centers once the recyclables leave the facilities –don’t worry, slides and pictures will be printed out so parents just have to read them)! A small craft will be done at each station.
We need 5 parent volunteers per classroom for each grade level teacher. Each class will report to the STEAM Center room (103) on the day and time your teacher has signed up for. Please use the link below to sign up :
OMG I am so sorry; and if I recall correctly this is a private school, so you pay tuition to it on top of your homeowner tithe to the government schools.
How infuriating. I wonder what they do tell them about what happens to the materials that get recycled. Presumably it is turned into something valuable. Who gets to keep the valuable stuff?Why is your child expected (morally browbeat) to perform uncompensated labor (sorting, hauling,etc.) for the enrichment of the person who winds up with the valuable stuff? This is the fifth grade, right? Maybe your child could ask such questions, presuming he/she is curious.
Sorry I have to keep going. If your son hauls a bunch of newspapers to some place so they get recycled and the end-product is sold by someone who keeps the proceeds, why isn’t he paid the minimum wage?
Well, this is a great example of silliness, but probably in your/parents’ best interests. After all, what better way to help children signal conformity than fervently adopting the latest environmental craze as gospel? At least you can be certain that your kid’s school is helping them to build the biggest peacock tails!