Here is an article by Thomas Friedman from the January 10, 2010 New York Times. Its title is It’s All About The Schools, and he discusses the role that the West has in improving school systems in Yemen. Below are some notable excerpts:
“They spoke fondly of U.S. schools that were based on merit, taught them to think freely and prepared them with the skills to thrive.”
“…we should help Yemen build 50 new modern schools that teach science and math and critical thinking — to boys and girls.”
“…Yemen was an easy target. Uncritically accepting of the “truths” of Wahabism became the core curriculum in many Yemeni schools, Haddad added, and “it destroyed the opportunity to build the basic skills necessary to train the right labor force — skills like problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, debate, organization and teamwork.”
Friedman goes on to make several other points including the ability for Soviet Marxism to produce radicals AND some first-rate intellectuals. The skills and traits that are emphasized above are some of the main components of the American education system that we need to capitalize on in order to produce quality students. The United States is a country that was founded, in some part, on the ability to think freely and express ideas. Individuals like Thomas Jefferson believed that education was the key to good government. The education he was talking about was drastically different, but it was appropriate for the context in which he lived. We too must look at the education we are providing students and assess if it is appropriate for the time and place in which we live.
It is also important to note the undertone of the article: in addition to promoting academics, schools should be working diligently to produce quality citizens that contribute positively to a society. We can never lose sight of that.
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