The way we do education is based on fundamentally flawed concepts, from the grading systems we use to the clear design towards specifically (neuro)typical and more privileged children. This is just true everywhere. Childhood psychology/developmental psychology and education are pretty complicated and poorly understood by most of the public, even educators. And obviously significant social biases also play a part in the education system.
Rich kids without ADHD generally do far better in school and get into far better colleges or professions initially than poor kids or kids with ADHD… there are exceptions, but for the most part, almost all of the kids that fail school either have some form of disability (often times an undiagnosed disorder) or are underprivileged in some way (like being poor). Generally those kids would excel in a better environment, hell usually the “gifted” classes are primarily neurodivergent kids in elementary/middle school (or equivalents).
This is just repeating what I originally said, but hear me out. Who is “we”?
I mean, this very nice lady even says at around the 35 minute mark that “there are plenty of schools that don’t grade their students and have great college acceptance rates”, which makes me think she thinks her “we” may not be your “we”. She definitely doesn’t seem to think that “we” is “all of them”.
“We” is most of the schools in a majority of education systems in the world. At least, a majority of kids in most education systems are subject to this kind of education. Especially in the western world and East Asia where education is widespread and well-established, and where typical grading is seen as god.
Yeeeah, I’m not gonna cut through the ethnocentrism here, am I? Because that sure sounds like it means “the US and all the places I kind of assume work just like the US but don’t actually know in any detail”. Which is the exact type of discourse I was calling out at the top of this thing. If I’m honest, the implicit assumption you’re making that the countries that don’t work just like what you know don’t do so because education there isn’t “widespread and well-established” is kind of icky, depending on how much benefit of the doubt one gives to your “western world” blanket.
To be clear, I don’t have a particularly conservative take on this issue and I certainly have objections to the current state of the education system(s) I know. But they’re not the same ones you mean, not for the same reasons and certainly the concepts, issues and solutions the nice lady in the video is calling out would not really apply.
Sorry but do you know nothing of schooling in Japan, South Korea, or China? Or Germany or anywhere else in Europe? Would you be so kind as to point out a country where the part about education primarily rewarding being neurotypical, encouraging perfectionism/performance/competition over learning/personal success (and usually rewarding being privileged but not always) doesn’t apply? Where would you say has an “equal” or “fair” education system? The education systems don’t have to work the same way to have very similar and related fundamental flaws.
When I say “western world” I am using the common definition that includes South America and Eastern Europe. I suppose a better grouping to use would be primarily countries with a “medium, high, or very high” development index, considering those countries are likely to have a decently high rate of education with at least a somewhat consistent and functional education system. Considering that even includes war-torn theocratic dictatorships, I’d say it’s a pretty lenient metric.
I have, in fact, gone through the school system in some of the places you mention, yeah. Had people with very specific special needs close to me go through several of them, too. Had people close to me be teachers in some of them for decades as well. Some of them provided better support than others, most had some type of system that was definitely focused on specific support based on individual needs. Some have changed during my lifetime, because there are different opinions on what achieves that better.
And here’s the rub, I’m still not an expert. I still wouldn’t make sweeping generalizations about it. I absolutely don’t claim to have all the answers or see obvious flaws with obvious solutions. Certainly not assume the examples I know are close enough to every other country to not make a difference.
Considering you’re both American and a native English speaker, I somehow doubt that you have gone through primary or secondary schooling in East Asia, let alone anywhere outside of North America… regardless of that, it is very justified to make such generalizations considering how a majority of education is organized – most have very similar structures and are scaled-grading based with the objective to get a “passing grade” and often times those who get the highest grades get the most opportunities immediately post-education (generally college or better entry into jobs). Teaching is usually not one-on-one, and classes are mostly targetted towards neurotypical children.
Additionally, regardless of what country you go, it is a fact that the government and culture is extremely ableist, and likely has some form of rampant classism (although this is less universal than ableism). Systematic and cultural biases like that undeniably seep into the education system in every country. Your assumptions that education systems being ableist are probably not the default or widespread phenomenon really hinge on “being well-informed on the complexities of childhood/education psychology” and “proper disability awareness and accomodation” being one of the default states. It’s not, and in reality it takes significant amounts of resources and scientific approaches being pooled into specifically accomodating for neurodivergent and/or disabled and underprivileged children.
I don’t think non-Americans would primarily be talking about specific American cities, things they experienced in America, primarily American cultural icons, and American politics while also calling American Democrats “leftists” among other American-centric ideas, but I suppose anything’s possible isn’t it. But that’s just from a few seconds of scrolling.
Not that you can’t know anything about other education systems because of that – I just find it hard to believe.
The way we do education is based on fundamentally flawed concepts, from the grading systems we use to the clear design towards specifically (neuro)typical and more privileged children. This is just true everywhere. Childhood psychology/developmental psychology and education are pretty complicated and poorly understood by most of the public, even educators. And obviously significant social biases also play a part in the education system.
Rich kids without ADHD generally do far better in school and get into far better colleges or professions initially than poor kids or kids with ADHD… there are exceptions, but for the most part, almost all of the kids that fail school either have some form of disability (often times an undiagnosed disorder) or are underprivileged in some way (like being poor). Generally those kids would excel in a better environment, hell usually the “gifted” classes are primarily neurodivergent kids in elementary/middle school (or equivalents).
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the grading systems we use
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This is just repeating what I originally said, but hear me out. Who is “we”?
I mean, this very nice lady even says at around the 35 minute mark that “there are plenty of schools that don’t grade their students and have great college acceptance rates”, which makes me think she thinks her “we” may not be your “we”. She definitely doesn’t seem to think that “we” is “all of them”.
So who is “we”?
“We” is most of the schools in a majority of education systems in the world. At least, a majority of kids in most education systems are subject to this kind of education. Especially in the western world and East Asia where education is widespread and well-established, and where typical grading is seen as god.
Yeeeah, I’m not gonna cut through the ethnocentrism here, am I? Because that sure sounds like it means “the US and all the places I kind of assume work just like the US but don’t actually know in any detail”. Which is the exact type of discourse I was calling out at the top of this thing. If I’m honest, the implicit assumption you’re making that the countries that don’t work just like what you know don’t do so because education there isn’t “widespread and well-established” is kind of icky, depending on how much benefit of the doubt one gives to your “western world” blanket.
To be clear, I don’t have a particularly conservative take on this issue and I certainly have objections to the current state of the education system(s) I know. But they’re not the same ones you mean, not for the same reasons and certainly the concepts, issues and solutions the nice lady in the video is calling out would not really apply.
Sorry but do you know nothing of schooling in Japan, South Korea, or China? Or Germany or anywhere else in Europe? Would you be so kind as to point out a country where the part about education primarily rewarding being neurotypical, encouraging perfectionism/performance/competition over learning/personal success (and usually rewarding being privileged but not always) doesn’t apply? Where would you say has an “equal” or “fair” education system? The education systems don’t have to work the same way to have very similar and related fundamental flaws.
When I say “western world” I am using the common definition that includes South America and Eastern Europe. I suppose a better grouping to use would be primarily countries with a “medium, high, or very high” development index, considering those countries are likely to have a decently high rate of education with at least a somewhat consistent and functional education system. Considering that even includes war-torn theocratic dictatorships, I’d say it’s a pretty lenient metric.
I have, in fact, gone through the school system in some of the places you mention, yeah. Had people with very specific special needs close to me go through several of them, too. Had people close to me be teachers in some of them for decades as well. Some of them provided better support than others, most had some type of system that was definitely focused on specific support based on individual needs. Some have changed during my lifetime, because there are different opinions on what achieves that better.
And here’s the rub, I’m still not an expert. I still wouldn’t make sweeping generalizations about it. I absolutely don’t claim to have all the answers or see obvious flaws with obvious solutions. Certainly not assume the examples I know are close enough to every other country to not make a difference.
But hey, that’s just me.
Considering you’re both American and a native English speaker, I somehow doubt that you have gone through primary or secondary schooling in East Asia, let alone anywhere outside of North America… regardless of that, it is very justified to make such generalizations considering how a majority of education is organized – most have very similar structures and are scaled-grading based with the objective to get a “passing grade” and often times those who get the highest grades get the most opportunities immediately post-education (generally college or better entry into jobs). Teaching is usually not one-on-one, and classes are mostly targetted towards neurotypical children.
Additionally, regardless of what country you go, it is a fact that the government and culture is extremely ableist, and likely has some form of rampant classism (although this is less universal than ableism). Systematic and cultural biases like that undeniably seep into the education system in every country. Your assumptions that education systems being ableist are probably not the default or widespread phenomenon really hinge on “being well-informed on the complexities of childhood/education psychology” and “proper disability awareness and accomodation” being one of the default states. It’s not, and in reality it takes significant amounts of resources and scientific approaches being pooled into specifically accomodating for neurodivergent and/or disabled and underprivileged children.
I am neither American nor a native English speaker, but thanks, I’m gonna take that as a compliment. The rest of my point stands.
I don’t think non-Americans would primarily be talking about specific American cities, things they experienced in America, primarily American cultural icons, and American politics while also calling American Democrats “leftists” among other American-centric ideas, but I suppose anything’s possible isn’t it. But that’s just from a few seconds of scrolling.
Not that you can’t know anything about other education systems because of that – I just find it hard to believe.