3 ms·

The US school system is modeled after https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_education_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_education_system The purpo

The US school system is modeled after https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_education_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_education_system The purpose is to indoctrinate and create obedient factory workers. It was never about education to begin with.

paulpauper 3y ago
oh man this myth again. What use do factory workers have for geometry, history, or other stuff taught in schools? If the goal is to create obedient workers, why not teach them stuff that is actually encountered in a work environment?
- infamouscow 3y ago
  This avoids explaining why a student can graduate without being literate, nor does it poke any holes in the argument. A physicist can give quantum mechanics lectures to kindergarteners, it doesn't mean they will understand or retain any of it. But you can still say your school teaches physics at a very early age. It sounds nice, but doesn't mean anything.
bell-cot 3y ago
Skimming that Wikipedia article...I'd say it's a bit closer to contradicting your assertion than to supporting it.
- hindsightbias 3y ago
  It’s always good to know that nothing has changed in 150 years of US education. I’ve got to go saddle my horse now.
ahazred8ta 3y ago
Um... the American colonies introduced government funded universal education in the 1600s, before the Prussian system existed. The US never introduced a nationwide curriculum like the Prussian system. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_School_Laws https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_School_Laws US federal coordination of educational activities was very weak. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Office_of_Education https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Office_of_Educ... The US government has never written any policy document identifying 'obedient factory workers' as a goal, in the sense you're talking about. When you went through school, were you trained to be an obedient factory worker, or did you get an education? The Soviet school system had an explicit goal of creating obedient factory workers. Was that somehow incompatible with higher education?

paulpauper 3y ago

oh man this myth again. What use do factory workers have for geometry, history, or other stuff taught in schools? If the goal is to create obedient workers, why not teach them stuff that is actually encountered in a work environment?

infamouscow 3y ago
This avoids explaining why a student can graduate without being literate, nor does it poke any holes in the argument. A physicist can give quantum mechanics lectures to kindergarteners, it doesn't mean they will understand or retain any of it. But you can still say your school teaches physics at a very early age. It sounds nice, but doesn't mean anything.

bell-cot 3y ago

Skimming that Wikipedia article...I'd say it's a bit closer to contradicting your assertion than to supporting it.

hindsightbias 3y ago
It’s always good to know that nothing has changed in 150 years of US education. I’ve got to go saddle my horse now.

ahazred8ta 3y ago

Um... the American colonies introduced government funded universal education in the 1600s, before the Prussian system existed. The US never introduced a nationwide curriculum like the Prussian system. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_School_Laws https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_School_Laws US federal coordination of educational activities was very weak. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Office_of_Education https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Office_of_Educ... The US government has never written any policy document identifying 'obedient factory workers' as a goal, in the sense you're talking about. When you went through school, were you trained to be an obedient factory worker, or did you get an education? The Soviet school system had an explicit goal of creating obedient factory workers. Was that somehow incompatible with higher education?