Critical Thinking--A Fraud For At Least 60 Years

Just put new review on Amazon for "And Madly Teach," published 1949, perhaps the earliest expose of public school follies. Wonderful book...And it contained a wonderful anecdote about a boy who got 30 in reading and math. When his mother complained, he answered, "Yes, but I got 100 in Postwar Planning." (See review if only for last paragraph.)

See how it works. Children who know nothing are said to have deep discussions about the aforementioned nothing. Nuclear energy. Roman society versus Han society. Hindu ideas on death...The sky's the limit when you know nothing.

From k to college, "critical thinking" is another gimmick devised by our Education Establishment to disguise the fact that nobody is educated. A beautiful phrase. Poetry! Who could be against it? Compare: Whole Word, Constructivism, Cooperative Learning, Reform Math, Self Esteem, and 50 more. Not one increases education; not one is intended to. They are empty marketing slogans; and "critical thinking" may be the best of the bunch....For a good short article on this topic, click here.