Friday, July 24, 2009
Education for Free
At its most basic level, learning is free. Why does school cost so much? Learning comes from hearing, observing, listening, etc. - all free activities. Mom and Dad provide more free instruction than most kids can stomach. Homeschoolers can do a fine job on a shoestring budget. Even if we accept the societal need for a public school system, why does it cost $10-15,000 per student? That's about $300,000 per classroom! Why is bureaucracy and bussing and buildings so expensive? It seems that we can't afford this anymore, at least not in Detroit...
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Wow - profound! I have to admit that I've never thought in depth on this too much. But that's very interesting. I get really bogged down in thinking of how to get as much technology and fun "tools" for my students and I barely think about the cost associated with it.
ReplyDeleteMichael, you raise a really interesting question. One part of the answer has to do with the professionalization of teaching (which connects with the enterprise in which we're all engaged). My mentor, Fred Goodman, spoke of teaching in the early days of our country as the pervade of "spinsters, sisters (as in nuns) and spouses." The was more to it than this, but in an overtly gender-biased age, this was translatable as meaning that few people who ostensibly "really needed an income" went into teaching. However, as compulsory schooling took hold, there was a need for teachers and places to train them, all of which came with a price tag.
ReplyDeleteForgive the quick word about our educational history, but keep the idea you raise in mind. For one, teachers *must* be resourceful, as most teachers must make do with fewer resources than they would ideally have. In addition, though, one of the things that you might be in a great position to provide for your students are tangible reminders that, both in school and in life, the essence of education is about simple (i.e., inexpensive or free) things and simple moments of discovery. Keep thinking about this, Michael.
Mike, Nice job on your blog. Definitely not your standard physics questions. It's amazing how much education cost keeps going up. and its getting worse with the need to have certain technolgoies in the classroom such as computers, etc. Even free education isn't free anymore...look at where California is heading!
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