Education must be based upon uncertainty
by Norman W Wilson, PhD
It should never be a question that one of the major roles for educators is to base their instruction upon the principle of uncertainty. At first glance this may appear to be a call for a doomsday outlook on life and the living of that life. It is not! I repeat, it is not!
Job markets, careers, and life styles are in a constant state of flux. Mobility has changed the demographics and the American life style. It is not unusual for a person to breakfast in New York City and lunch in Los Angles on the same day. Families break up, regroup as extended families. The family construct itself is changing. Religious affiliations and beliefs change.
Businesses close and new ones open. Styles in clothing come and go. Entertainment models change. The weather changes.
The task of the educational system is to inculcate a sense of flexibility, to broaden student expectations to include rapid change, to hold off immediate gratification, to withhold judgments until facts are clear, and to look upon learning as a lifelong experience.
Young men and women entering college should not be forced to make career choices but should concentrate on exploration of various educational venues. And this isn’t such a bad idea for high schoolers. Why, for crying out loud, do we insist on teaching our own language for twelve years? Why aren’t we demanding competent use of our own tongue after third grade? That wasted time could be devoted to other subjects, especially those that require direct application of learning.
