Charles Murray: Real Education & Education Myths

In this segment from the McCuistion Program,  Charles Murray, author of The Bell Curve, Losing Ground and the recently released, Real Education, explains and expounds on four controversial truths as they relate to the educational system.

Real Education has a simple premise: the way that we are educating our children is based on educational  myths and disregards four distinct truths.  The lack of concern for these four truths is detrimental to the futures of our children.

Truth #1 – Ability varies. Mr. Murray talks about the “No Child Left Behind” campaign and   fallacies of thought.  Schools draw on verbal, linguistic, visual, spacial and mathematical skills. However, there are many more skills that aren’t covered in school that should not be disregarded.

Truth #2 – Half of all children are below average. This statement refers to the skills that are taught and graded in school.  He goes on to discuss the segregation that goes on from school to school and how that plays into this truth.

Truth #3 – Too many people are going to college. In Murray’s research he concluded that only 10-15% of kids have the ability to actually graduate from college courses, if they were in fact doing college-level work. However, 28% of Americans have bachelor degrees.  He then expounds on the educationally elite and the effect that that has had on society.

Truth #4 – The future of America depends on how we educate the academically gifted.Mr. Murray believes it is our bright kids who will  be leading the country, and they need to be trained better in those areas they are not currently trained in. According to Murray one of these areas is virtue. He goes on to explain the misunderstanding of true virtue among the rising generations.

He believes, “real education” is needed in order to eliminate the education myths that are being taught in our schools today.

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10.12.08 – 1721