One of my favorite quotes, by Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 at the Sorbonne in Paris

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Politicians and public schools

So, it looks like our politicians don't believe in the schools system that they are responsible for providing us. (see this link) Some conspiracy theories believe that our school system is purposely getting worse, and that the elite want to dumb Americans down. Then they can have a dumb, unquestioning workforce, and they can stay at the top. But even if this isn't intentional, why is it so? Is education just not that important, or do politicians not concern themselves with it, because they can afford alternatives? And regardless of all of this what is the solution?

As Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation."

Of course, if the majority of our good education is only going to those who can afford it, then that makes a statement like this null and void. Doesn't it?

Does this even matter?
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