YOU SAID IT: Memorization, not education

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MEMORIZATION, NOT EDUCATION

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Think back to the days when you would go to school, sit at your desk, open your notebook and wait for the teacher to start the lesson. For some, that could be decades ago. For others, like myself, that was today. We spend six hours a day in school, listening to teachers talk, spewing facts like bullets from a gun. And then, once the teacher is satisfied with the suffocating piles of information they’ve dumped on us, they test us.

Now, here’s the problem. Schools believe that tests are an accurate way of showing how much a student has learned, when in reality all tests do is show who’s the best at memorizing facts.

As stated by Robert L. Arnold, a professor emeritus of education at SUNY Plattsburgh, in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, “The essential focus of standardized tests is to measure knowledge of what has been remembered from classroom instruction. The test results do not differentiate between those who may be considered competent and those who have remembered well enough to pass the test.”

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A student could receive a mark of 100 per cent, but have understood nothing on the test. Schools should spend more time ensuring their students actually understand the material and can apply it to real-life scenarios rather than testing their memories.

Rowan Sheehan

OTTAWA

(We couldn’t agree more.)

STUDENTS INSPIRING, BUT…

Re: Too cruel for school in Afghanistan; Teens from Smiths Falls send message to the Taliban: Let girls get an education, April 2

As a fellow high school student, it is both inspiring and uplifting to hear about the initiative of the girls from Smiths Falls. I commend these students on their careful organization and peaceful protest, however one main question still remains. What was their main objective? While their actions raised some awareness, the issue still remains unresolved. This protest is yet another example of performative activism, which parallels the arbitrary infographics often posted by teens on their social media accounts.

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I’m sure that this protest was founded on genuine outrage and good intentions. On the other hand, I believe that this issue is far too complex and far too ambitious for a small group of high school students. In order to demonstrate true dedication to their cause, why not go a step further and sponsor refugee families to provide them with the opportunity to receive education here in Canada?

My advice to the younger generation looking to make a change is this: focus on making your actions count, no matter how small they may be. Don’t get too lost in the big picture.

ABAIGEAL KELSO

OTTAWA

(“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”)

INCREASING THE WRONG THING

Ontario: “A Place To Grow”—potholes. Increasing Ontario speed limits? How about increasing Ontario road maintenance?

When you bang through broken pavement, it is hard to tell the difference between 100 km/h and 110 km/h. Unsafe at any speed.

DYAN CROSS

OTTAWA

(What do you call a street full of potholes and ice cream? Rocky road.)