David Brooks writes articles that I often find of interest. His February 13, 2020, NYT article, "This is how Scandinavia got great," is one I would add to the list, particularly because it critiques U.S.A. education in ways that I believe are inaccurate. Brooks' thesis is that the prosperity of Scandinavian countries (which he identifies as Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, although Finland does not necessarily see itself as "Scandinavian") is not the result of socialism but of the realization that "if their countries were to prosper they had to create truly successful 'folk schools' for the least educated among them."
I don't disagree with the belief that there is a unique commitment among these countries to broaden access to schools for all. What I quibble with is that he claims that the type of education offered in "Scandinavian" education is based on the "bildung" philosophy originating from Germany and not embraced in U.S.A. education. The "bildung" view offers education that results in the "complete moral, emotional, intellectual and civic transformation of the person." Brooks says that this philosophy embraces the idea that individuals go through development phases which eventually result in internalized values that reflect this transformation.
The idea of holistic education is readily seen in many U.S.A. colleges and universities and these are the institutions I know best (Brooks does not say in the article whether he is speaking of K-12 or higher education). Many U.S.A. higher education institutions embrace holistic education and have very robust research and theory that informs how the process of development unfolds. Brooks, by ignorance or design, missed this major piece of what distinguishes U.S.A. higher learning.
Where Brooks is correct is that the commitment to holistic, transformative learning for students is uneven. Depending on a variety of variables (including private/public, large/small, teaching/research focused), students may attend institutions that have this focus or they may be in environments where education is very transactional and attentive only to skill development and workplace preparation. I don't know the degree to which Scandinavia has a pervasive focus on holistic and transformative learning but I do know that many U.S.A. institutions have an equal or stronger commitment to this idea, it's just that not everyone has access to it!
I don't disagree with the belief that there is a unique commitment among these countries to broaden access to schools for all. What I quibble with is that he claims that the type of education offered in "Scandinavian" education is based on the "bildung" philosophy originating from Germany and not embraced in U.S.A. education. The "bildung" view offers education that results in the "complete moral, emotional, intellectual and civic transformation of the person." Brooks says that this philosophy embraces the idea that individuals go through development phases which eventually result in internalized values that reflect this transformation.
The idea of holistic education is readily seen in many U.S.A. colleges and universities and these are the institutions I know best (Brooks does not say in the article whether he is speaking of K-12 or higher education). Many U.S.A. higher education institutions embrace holistic education and have very robust research and theory that informs how the process of development unfolds. Brooks, by ignorance or design, missed this major piece of what distinguishes U.S.A. higher learning.
Where Brooks is correct is that the commitment to holistic, transformative learning for students is uneven. Depending on a variety of variables (including private/public, large/small, teaching/research focused), students may attend institutions that have this focus or they may be in environments where education is very transactional and attentive only to skill development and workplace preparation. I don't know the degree to which Scandinavia has a pervasive focus on holistic and transformative learning but I do know that many U.S.A. institutions have an equal or stronger commitment to this idea, it's just that not everyone has access to it!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.