Matters 6

Education and Critical Thinking:

A baby is born and the immediate family cares, nurtures and educates it for the next few years. In truth, they continue such efforts for many years, even decades, but they seek and receive help in formally educating the child in public and private schools. Kindergarten is usually the first formal foray into education outside the home. That is followed by the elementary grades of one through eighth. Seventh and eighth grades are commonly referred to as junior high school or middle school. Then the high school years are added covering nineth through twelfth grades.

K through 12 was long considered sufficient education for most people, but the commonality of college educations followed as international relations grew exponentially following the second world war. Being well educated soon was thought to include a college education of four more years. In the 1960’s graduate education became increasingly expected, at least including a master’s degree in some subject or other.

In the 2020’s, multiple master’s degrees are becoming much more common. And then there is the PhD degree that almost always confers a mastery in a very specific, narrow subject. This has not become a common expectation but certainly gaining frequency.

The public often debates the value of advanced education. Some feel certain all education should be career oriented, not just academic. If that were true, then public funding for all trades training would be available to all. It isn’t. Nor has it ever been.

Training for the trades should be more available and tuition free. How else will our society retain necessary training and manpower in essential trades and crafts? Then add tech changes to these fields on a constant basis. Yes, crafts trade training is a must and long overdue for full funding for the students.

Education should aim at teaching critical thinking in all matters of life. Society relies on a social order in which the public can keep up with changes, challenges and career shifts. Governance shifts, as well. How well we know that these days~

Voting is not enough to keep a modern democracy healthy. Voting informed by critical thinking is what is needed now and far into the future. This is our life, yours and mine. We must be able to understand events, social change and facts if we are to vote intelligently.

Critical thinking begins at freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion and all the rest of the things guaranteed by the US Constitution. That is why it deserves an oath from all elected officials. They are not in service for themselves but for all of society. Their oath is their word to do right by the constitution. To do otherwise is not only wrong, it is criminal. And deserves a jail sentence if the oath is broken. That begins with the President of the US and continues right down the line to all public jobs where the oath is taken.

Critical thinking begins with education. Continuing education, at that.

September 15, 2025

 

 

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