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Colton Cutchens

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How much of a right do students have to questioning and independent thinking?

What is your opinion on how much students should be allowed to question? Do they have the right to question if they may see a logical fallacy? If so, how far are they allowed to question it? Why?

In addition: I understand teachers try to allow students to question, but sometimes are limited by the administration (and/or bureaucracy). Why is this?

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Topics: education philosophy thinking
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  • carolyn mcauley 10+

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    Jan 3 2013: teachers block questions and independent thought all the time. they are responsible for fostering prejuidice against women and other races,for creating a false front for law enforcement,the grandeur or government, worship of royalty,prejudice against the trades,vrs white collar and a belief that one persons rule is appropriate for large groups of people. My dad is a teacher,much loved,yet his own children suffered immensely from his self importance and rigid views of being right. The reason I hold this group account able for these false impressions of the world is they are the ones feeding the information to impressionable children,and later test are given to require the person to have memorized this unfortunate slant on culture. Even when a teacher is aware or much of what they teach as false or biased...they will not include any material contrary...as it complicates the lesson. I question young girls all the time about if they know of any contributions women make to society ,no they do not...I ask people,who built the pyramids,if Colombus discovered America, why is Haiti doing so poorly,why is Africa a mess,did the Native American experience genocide, who improved the light bulb...The ideas that only white people,white men are the builders of civilization is alive and well fostered by our second hand learning from books only...funded by rich aristocrats,who fund universities,even if they owned sugar plantations with slaves,,,why would we really be able to question a system which pivots on a philosophy of sexist racial supremacy? Prove me wrong...I will be grateful
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      James Kemp

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      Jan 3 2013: As a part of the seemingly maligned and tainted profession you so eloquently detest I would like to ask you both what you do and what can be done in more general terms to fix the system as you see it? I know I am far from perfect, and any teacher who tells you they haven’t pressed on through a few questions to hit a learning objective or finish what they felt they had to in the given time is lying. Of course there are outdated and perhaps even harmful modalities, but I think you are tarring a great many people with the same brush here. But at least we are rolling our sleeves up and trying; it’s very easy to throw stones from the sidelines.

      • carolyn mcauley 10+

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        Jan 4 2013: james...I do not detest teachers,I admire them and hold them in high esteem,their teachings are all over my psyche...I was shocked later on in life to hear that most of my lessons were far from the truth and had hurt other racial groups,and had lead me to construct my own female identity on materieal that was selected by others,that gives no history ,but warfare..and i met great janitors and substandard police and lawyers....I wanted my education to be genuinely full of truth..so I could be the best I was capable of...The tarring you witness me doing,maybe because perhaps..you may be the only group left who has wiggling room to change...my being nice,with all the classrooms full of children slotted for imperialistic service are hoping you will care..if you want to say its someone elses fault,go ahead,fine..but if I was a teacher,,It would be against my ethics to teach all the races that Ancient Greece was the start of the civilized world,when it was a pediphile culture at this time...I would not teach that spain discovered North America,because People already lived here...I would not imply ever that conquered races are inferior...I would tell the truth about how violent Europe was,how it had religious sanctions against bathing,I would mention the terrible crimes against womens rights and discuss what is it that men have against their own mothers...I would teach not all mankind praticed war,or greed,or piracy ...I would include Pythagorius trips to Egypt to learn math, the obssesion of math with numerology,sacred geometry,that animals are not inferior,and have memories and relationships..Teachers stood at the gate of my mind and filled it with many untruths...who would you like me to talk to about it?
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          James Kemp

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          Jan 4 2013: I don't know any professional who would teach or omit those things, I certainly wouldn't. Although I don't think I would laided the children I teach with the guilt you imply; rather help them to see through history and recognise interconnectedness, causation and that it was often written by both the victors and/or people who had their own agenda when writting it. I think you do us a disservice suggecting that we do not teach about those things that might be uncomfortable.
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        Colton Cutchens

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        Jan 4 2013: To James- To answer your question, I am a college student majoring in philosophy and psychology, and have asked this question to this community to better understand the subject of education. I mean to seek unbiased understanding, not to display disrespect to those in the field. Also, I have found a community of thinkers and questioners that seek what is true in this online community, and I am ecstatic. But many of the people in my area I have met, some of which are educators, allow students to question the subject as much as they wish, but once the teaching and education structure itself is questioned, they will not allow the students to question any further. Why is this? Is this right? Or is my perspective flawed?
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          James Kemp

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          Jan 4 2013: Apologies Colton, my comment was aimed more as a response to Carolyn's post rather than to your question. I think you have a point and it is a worthwhile issue for debate.

          I think the problem is a systemic one; I often feel constrained by the curriculum not supported. It seems that there is a view of education based of a transmitted model of learning, i.e. if you know a certain number of facts you are educated. Those who dictate policy are reluctant to listen to professionals because a certain quarter of the electorate have a very outdated view of learning and any sort of break from the traditional policies of the past gets stirred up in the media as new fangled hippy nonsense.

          As professionals we have to grasp every opportunity we can to empower learners to ask questions and explore their own curiousities; a move to enquiry based learning is a move in the right direction in my opinion.

          In answer to your intial question, yes learners do have a right to question and independent thought and in my opinion this right superceeds the right of policy makers to dictate to us what the template of an "educated" person looks like.
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      Mike Colera 10+

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      Jan 4 2013: I am sorry there is no way to prove you wrong. Your perception of a system philosophically based on a sexist racial supremacy is your perception. No one can change what you see. I see something else. I see a system of organizations that are charged with providing immature adults from a young age, the knowledge to become fully functional adults upon maturation. Schools. The primary knowledge givers, teachers, are a large group of professionals, some are extremely competent, some bad, most are dedicated and do the best they can. I believe that the reason so many of our schools fail the students rest more with mismanagement. The school bureaucracy is more centered on it's own survival that educating young adults, but that is another story..
      You sounded so angry at not being taught about all the inhumanity fostered on humanity. I would tell you that that may have been a kindness by all those adults around you. Consider. You are a young adult in middle school. You are dealing with puberty and all the physical and emotional trauma that brings. Did you really want to sit in class and discuss murder, mayhem and all those issues you addressed? You did finally learn about the real world probably at a more mature time in your life when you were better able to address these issues and their meanings. I would contend that the adults in your young life protected you from the harsh realities of life, maybe out of love...

      • carolyn mcauley 10+

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        Jan 4 2013: ok I like that idea that I was protected from harsh reality,yet there was constant references to the atomic bomb,and the end of gasoline,and that Russians were enemies,and that Pakistanis and people from India were inferior,or the Chinese..Oh and the King Henry the Eight was righteous in killing off his wives,because Royalty had a quest to fullfill and they were special..So while I was not instructed on the failings of my own race...I was filled with references to the inferiority of others....why?why? why? Iwas scared about the end of the world,and no one could tell me frEurope had made bad choices in its pillaging of other cultures..I grew up with a profound respect for groups who fail to admitt t heir own shortcomings...are still implicating inferiority of others...and Im being protected so Im in capable of fighting years of dedication to a system that dosent even like itself,yet cant self critique its so addicted to its own lies..instead you let third world nations bear the weight of it all..and fill young minds with meaningless imperialistic greatness..I learned about death,rape,bullying,genocide,females are inferior...and school was protecting me,,,from what?

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