We Need an Education
My daughter is majoring in philosophy at college. She has been reading the major philosophers and learning about its history and different interpretations, and other things philosophers philosophize about. She likes it and is interested in most of her classes (except Logic, but she has never liked to follow logical thinking). A liberal arts education here is not the same as in the U.S. Here a student studies only what they major in, never subjects that pertain to other departments. For example, the only class that can be called scientific in the philosophy major is Logic. And it is taught because it is pertinent to forming a good argument. Which is necessary for philosophy students to learn, because they will be forming arguments at some point in their studies.
My daughter is learning other things, though, through her involvement in student associations. She has also been learning about student politics and activism. She is currently involved in a protest that students in both the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Education (Magisterio) are holding. Both departments are having a sleep-in at their main buildings. They are protesting the endless cuts and dismantling of public higher education.
There are more departments affected, but these two are the first to protest publicly. The students are complaining about the lack of professors and funding. There are subjects that are not being taught because they have no professor to teach it. Other subjects are being taught by professors that have no specialization in them. An example would be to compare it to a situation in which an English teacher would have to teach an algebra class in high school. There is no way the students would learn algebra well in that situation. The Department of Philosophy has had its budget cut from 60,000 euros to 6,000 euros yearly. Seeing temporary deans come and go, with no effort made to appoint someone permanently, they are also worried about the future of the Department, and fear the day may come in which it disappears from the University.
The Education Department and the Philosophy Department are also significant. In Philosophy the students learn to think and understand critical thinking. In Education the students learn to become teachers that will bring out the best in the children they will eventually find in their classrooms. There has long been a war against teaching how to think and upon public education. Most of the governments we have had, both regional and national, prefer people as robots trained in their jobs that will obey without thinking. The good teachers are to be reserved for the expensive, totally private schools that only the privileged can afford. This is what the students are protesting. They want a good, solid education so they can one day bring out the best in others. They want the Humanities to continue being the cornerstone of an education that widens horizons. Without learning new and old ideas, many dreams that would one day help mankind will never be dreamt.
My daughter is learning other things, though, through her involvement in student associations. She has also been learning about student politics and activism. She is currently involved in a protest that students in both the Department of Philosophy and the Department of Education (Magisterio) are holding. Both departments are having a sleep-in at their main buildings. They are protesting the endless cuts and dismantling of public higher education.
There are more departments affected, but these two are the first to protest publicly. The students are complaining about the lack of professors and funding. There are subjects that are not being taught because they have no professor to teach it. Other subjects are being taught by professors that have no specialization in them. An example would be to compare it to a situation in which an English teacher would have to teach an algebra class in high school. There is no way the students would learn algebra well in that situation. The Department of Philosophy has had its budget cut from 60,000 euros to 6,000 euros yearly. Seeing temporary deans come and go, with no effort made to appoint someone permanently, they are also worried about the future of the Department, and fear the day may come in which it disappears from the University.
The Education Department and the Philosophy Department are also significant. In Philosophy the students learn to think and understand critical thinking. In Education the students learn to become teachers that will bring out the best in the children they will eventually find in their classrooms. There has long been a war against teaching how to think and upon public education. Most of the governments we have had, both regional and national, prefer people as robots trained in their jobs that will obey without thinking. The good teachers are to be reserved for the expensive, totally private schools that only the privileged can afford. This is what the students are protesting. They want a good, solid education so they can one day bring out the best in others. They want the Humanities to continue being the cornerstone of an education that widens horizons. Without learning new and old ideas, many dreams that would one day help mankind will never be dreamt.
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