A Curriculum of Unquestionable Value and Relevance
First and foremost I highly respect the profession of teaching the leaders of tomorrow and the content of this article is not meant to be an attack on the teaching profession. The importance of the value and reference to educational curriculum at all levels of our education system cannot be underestimated. It is hoped the content of this article will spur a closer look not only what is taught in all our public educational facilities but educational resources within the business community.
The question of what curriculum should be in place within our educational institutions is one that is not easy to answer. The point being is that everyone has a different opinion but we only need to look at the philosophy and principles that our founding fathers embraced at the beginning of our country. The subjects may not necessarily be the ones that we think of in many cases but the principles can be included in each subject being taught. Today the principles being taught is turning our education system upside down primarily a result of the methods and results of what instructors want to achieve.
Value and relevance in any curriculum must be present. Our world is changing in many ways and the needs of businesses today are different than in the past. In addition the needs of businesses in the future will also be different than they are today. Instilling value and relevance in subjects being taught will benefit the future leaders of tomorrow and the needs of businesses today and into the future.
Primarily we think of basic subjects like English, foundational math, science, social studies, history and to add to that computer training. All of these and others are important to our society as a whole though some may not think that all of these belong in our educational system but yet they do. Too often it seems that individuals are smart but yet they cannot convey their ideas so others will understand. This is not a reflection of individuals but our school system. English is a basic language that must provide the tools to properly communicate with other individuals. It can involve and does involve more than writing it also involves speaking and in some cases using available internet tools.
Another subject is foundational math and perhaps more detailed. The subject of math is involved in every segment of society in fact you cannot get away from it in business. Businesses exist to make a profit and this involves keeping track of expenses and income. If our school system does not provide value in the math principles it affects the success of an individual in the job they may end up holding.
Science and social studies are additional critical subjects that need to provide value and reference to the needs of society as a whole. Science is involved in conducting experiments such as finding cures for diseases among other things. Social studies involves a number of topics such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities. It is important that any individual who wants to have a basic education in these subjects to understand events throughout history to be better prepared to realize the impact they can have on society on the decisions they make. We must learn from our mistakes as well as our successes. It is a matter of survival.
The last specific subject to address is history. Today books about our history have changed to reflect political correctness not the real facts concerning evens throughout the world not just in our country. Value and relevance for this subject is a must. Political philosophy, political opinion or political correctness has no place in the classroom. The principles of value and relevance must be engrained in all curriculum whether in our education system or in the business world. Relevance is the primary key along with value. Any subject being taught should provide a connection to the needs of business and society as a whole. In this respect students can see how they are important to their success in the workplace.
