by Vishaal Kuruvanka
July 13th, 2022

“When all the different kinds of industry obtain in a community, each individual can find his proper element and can call into activity the vigour of his nature”  - Alexander Hamilton

 

The design of one’s education should follow what interests the student. Obviously there are some basic skills that every student should know beginning with the ability to read, write and perform mathematical skills. But after a certain part, a forced education of subjects breeds a sense of ungratefulness because the reasoning behind why we are learning certain subjects is not clearly understood. Curiosity is the key to an effective education and the way we design an education for our students should begin with understanding how to unlock this virtue.  

 

The golden age of data, free flow of information and technology gives us a basis to think about education in ways that we never have before. The design of the way we educate our students is equally important to thinking on how we can build the political framework to make schools effectively work. Here too we can learn from other countries and add a twist of creativity to our system by studying various individuals that have reached the pinnacle of their potential.

 

The way we learn about things is usually around two things: 

 

1. We are interested in a specific subject so we take the personal journey to learn on it

2. We are forced to learn it for school/job

 

Students in school rarely understand why they are learning specific subject material and do not understand how it fits into their larger life picture. I was often asked, “Why do we need to learn about this?” At first, I struggled to answer this question as I had not thought about how it fit into their lives besides passing the class to receive their high school diploma. Eventually I connected how that mathematical concept was being used in the real world by engineers, economists and artists. But this too was not satisfying to myself because I knew more than 75% of my students did not want to pursue a highly technical career either because of

 

1. They did not think that they could

2. They did not have interest in it

 

By the time I got my students, there was not much I could do in terms of strengthening their mathematics. Calculus was a class where most students were already relatively strong at math. These students one way or another were more likely to attend college and be responsible citizens. My concern was for the other students in senior year who had an aversion towards math. Even if I had them, there was very little I could do as they already had the mindset that they were not good and math was not for them. As I enquired as to when they felt this aversion most said it was sometime in late elementary or middle school that they felt uneasy about math. To this end I have put forward some ideas on what a practical design of an education can look like to ultimately bring the best out in our students.

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Elementary to Middle School

 

A practical design of education would work best by pushing our students to cover basic math and science material (equivalent to today's 10th grade education standards being completed by the end of middle school). This then allows greater freedom for students to pursue their specific interests in high school. The plan will begin with mentioning Pre-K to the end of middle school and then what students should pursue in high school and later years.

 

The first years that a student enters the classroom is extremely important and can set the tone for their educational lives moving forward. Aside from the interpersonal skills gained within the early years, basic mathematics and science skills must be pushed at a higher pace than currently is being set. Simply put, if students are required to strenuously work through material from the beginning, then this becomes a habit that is hard to break later on. There are many different models to perform this task, but it is outside the scope of this book. But it is important to state here that Teachers are fundamental to pushing material quicker. The report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” put together by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineers and the Institute of Medicine showed that “41 percent of American eighth graders received instruction from a mathematics teacher who specialized in mathematics, considerably lower than the international average of 71%”. It can be argued that the US’s population is much larger than other countries included in the report but this argument melts when we look at China further on. Teachers that are passionate and highly skilled at their specific subject will draw the interests of the students towards the subject matter and this plays a huge role in students selecting areas that they deem interesting. This will be spoken more about in the section on teachers. Ultimately if the first years in school are consumed with building the strong foundational skills in basic mathematics, reading and writing, then following years can be tailored to fit the specific interests of students.

The case for accelerating the math and science curriculums for our younger students is being done by countless countries across the world. In The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman, there are numerous instances given when immigrant students scoff at what is being taught in US schools.

 

“Munteanu started America public school in the seventh grade and found it a breeze compared to his Romanian school. ‘The math and science classes [covered the subject matter] I was taking in Romania… when I was in fourth grade,’ he said.”

 

“One conference was with Deven and Swati Vora. As we chatted about their daughter Sonia, they told me not only did our school not give enough homework but also that it wasn’t challenging enough….. Irena, an immigrant from Eastern Europe, wanted to know why her son Timothy had no science book and such a flimsy science curriculum. How could we be a competitive school when we didn’t have a science book?”

 

These examples along with the fact that the US routinely scores below the international average scores for mathematics and science shows us that our standards are completely out of range with what other competing countries are doing. The argument about also focusing their early years on the fundamentals of mathematics and science is that these are foundational to later, higher level sciences which are needed to be able to work with increasingly complex technologies.

 

High School and Onwards

 

After a strong base is built in fundamental subjects, this is when students should be given more freedom with respect to building their curriculums. Philosophically, if we take the base maximum that we want our children to be the best that they can be, then they should be allowed to pursue what they find highly enticing and ultimately believe that they can be great at it. This outcome also works best in our capitalist society as each individual becomes increasingly good at what they love, the society as a whole benefits from their positive contribution (whatever the field may be).

In this current day and age, there should be more flexibility available to public school students to further study the subjects that keenly interest them. Although maturity in young students may be lacking, the function of handing over the reins of their education serves to make the student more mature because of the increased responsibility given to them. Because the students will have a strong base in reading, writing, mathematics and science they will be well poised to succeed in whatever field they choose to pursue. High school should serve as a period of intense intellectual growth in subject areas that they see fit to pursue a career in. This approach forces students to think about their future from the beginning of high school and then figure out how to build an education that will help them pursue the career that they want. 

For example, if a student feels like they enjoy health science, then they will endeavor to take subjects that will help them deepen an understanding of the subject. These students will obviously take courses in biology, chemistry and physics to understand the physical world and body. To supplement this science education, courses in the history of medicine, ethics and humanity will evoke their communication skills and strengthen their reading muscles. As these students go through these courses, they will be gaining a multifold education through sciences, literature and history. This one example shows that an individualized curriculum for a student interested in a specific field can be made encompassing multiple fields, especially in this era of virtual learning and access to resources. This imaginary curriculum would be effective on two fronts, the first being that because the student has designed this course load, they will be more likely to pursue it with more passion and vigor. Secondly, because these courses would normally be taken during university, the student can be exposed to this field much quicker and strip courses that are not useful to the student later on in life. 

Due to the nature of computers and the internet, this would be a possible feat that expands educational content taught within classrooms and accelerates learning outcomes for students still in high school. Publicly funded state universities would be the best place to partner for giving these courses to students at no extra cost to the student or tax payer.  

Benchmarks should be set for these fields of study to make sure they are objectively learning and to reward creative problem solving. For example if a student builds a curriculum in engineering, there should be a course where the student is instructed to apply their learning in a practical way (building of a machine or model that serves to accomplish a task, in social sciences an honors thesis or some sort of writing exposition; in the arts a composition or performance of a vaunted piece). There should also be substantive courses that are mandatory for all students on exercise (how to maintain strong health) and the control of emotions (strengthening of mental health) as both of these areas are necessary for any functioning career. With students taking full control of their studies, they will learn much quicker about themselves and their talents and how they can contribute to society in their own unique ways. Exercising this form of leadership will also develop a form of confidence within our students to build on and put out their own ideas.

Agreeing that the purpose of education is to come out with a cultivated mind, the whole point of going to school then is to learn, experiment and ultimately cultivate the mind with ideas. To achieve this there are many different routes which can be taken. Obviously coming from school, students should be able to take in information (in the form of words, numbers or sounds) and be able to analyze and respond. From this basic axiom we can then state that the reading and writing must be learned to understand communication and intern to communicate their thoughts. Mathematics is a useful tool to teach the basics of logic and more importantly, for the age that we live in, computer science. Both topics in the beginning will require rigidity and discipline to master but after a certain point, school must push students to produce or build upon what exists. Again, it is important to emphasize high standards when designing an education for our youth as within my brief experience, I have seen our youth strive to solve large problems. It is obvious that they can but only with the proper guidance and self belief. At this point it will be beneficial to us if we apply the method of first principles to specific subject matter to discuss why each field matters.

 

History

Perhaps the most overlooked subject and seen just as a compilation of facts by most students, this subject must be reexamined from a sense of first principles. I myself in Highschool never really enjoyed the format of writing down facts about history as I felt that these memorized facts would ever play a role in my life. When would I ever have to use my knowledge of the northwest ordinance of 1787? But history is not merely facts but provides us with a rich perspective of how our own ancestors lived during their times. The world has progressed at such an accelerated rate over the course of the last few centuries and understanding this rise is very important to then understand where we are going. 

If the purpose of education is to better understand our surroundings and ourselves, then history plays a unique role in helping us understand our ancestors and how we got to this point in the world. Many people cannot see past themselves, family or friend group. But while studying history it becomes clear that a multitude of people have lived before us who have discovered and built the current society that we currently live within. On a smaller scale, learning about the lives of historic leaders, we can draw on specific habits or methods that they used and adopt those lessons within our own lives. Although they may have lived in different times, there are certain age old principles that stay relevant through the course of time. On a large scale we can see the patterns that occur repeatedly through the course of (recorded) mankind. From this we can draw many lessons which can not only help us build a productive life, but also inform our decisions about how to build a greater society. Within this subject it is important to learn how the government works and the basis for its founding. This course is commonly taught in political science courses

 

Mathematics

Math is primarily taught so that students can know the language of numbers which we use to describe the world. Humans are predisposed to create systems to better understand their surroundings and numbers provide a clear and logical set of variables that help us understand the world. In this sense, it is highly important to be able to perform various skills with the numbers such as adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. A solid footing of these skills will afford them to build on top of this. 

Just as a knowledge of farming and surveying was needed to survive in the late eighteenth century and reading and a basic understanding of science was needed to sell and install radios in the twentieth century, now in the twenty-first century all persons must have a working knowledge of computer science. Now granted only a small portion of them will go down that path, it is nonetheless a very important subject which will allow for the country to continue its dominance on the world stage. 

Here too we can add the component of teaching discrete mathematics early in highschool so that individuals that are inclined within this direction can become exposed to it much quicker. This exposure will also allow them to go into computer science much quicker.

 

Computer Science

Perhaps the most momentous subject that has changed the way we live should become a mandatory course for all of our youth. Having an understanding of how computers operate, the internet and the complications for existing subjects would best be explored as early as possible so that our young people can become proficient within this new language system. If this is rigorously taught within K-12 classrooms, it may also be possible for youth to go directly into the workspace for those that are not interested in college or higher education and still earn a good living. 

Obviously the prerequisites for this subject is basic mathematics skills and logic, but certain aspects of coding require no mathematics at all like web development. Courses can be built that teach how networks and other non-technical aspects of computer science work to high schoolers. This would advance the basic knowledge of computers and allow for more individuals to become exposed and learn sooner whether the field is the right fit for them or not. 

 

Music/Fine Arts

Music and the other fine arts are extremely important to helping one find their unique voice. They use different tools (instruments, their voice or limbs) to express their vision, thoughts and emotions. Ultimately the world is not as cut or dry as we try to see it as and therefore the ability to know one’s voice and then use that voice to create will be of utmost importance. Along with learning how to express, this group of skills also fosters creativity and is a different use of skills completely different to the reading and writing aspect found within the other subjects.This facet of our children’s growth must not be stifled. 

 

Literature

The ability to communicate is an extremely important skill that requires us to formulate and organize thoughts. Writing is one of the forms of communication. Writing allows us to communicate our thoughts to a much wider audience than through live speaking. It is also available for the future generations to study and understand what the writer was thinking.

In order for one to become an effective writer, they must study and absorb high quality literary and scholarly material to draw from. This reading will inform the student on how the author constructs the prose in their unique ways and forces them to digest the material into their mind. The greatest writers in the history of the world, all built their writing upon existing high quality written material. Shakespeare on the Iliad and Ovid. It is said that President Lincoln was an exceptional writer because he read and reread Shakespeare, the declaration of independence, the Bible and the northwest ordinance of 1787, all of which continue high quality language and material. 

To follow the education of these distinguished individuals, reading high quality literary pieces forces us to imagine, put ourselves in the character’s position, dissect prose, and ultimately forces us to think on the greater meaning of the work. Once a student has gone through many different literary works, the student will have different information sources to draw upon when they are forming arguments supporting the activities that they partake in during their lives.

 

Science

Mathematics serves as the basis for modern science. Science is the study of the large and small ecosystems that exist in and around the earth. Biology teaches us about species and what functions go on inside the organisms. Chemistry goes even deeper and shows us the mechanics of these specific functions and how they work. Physics is thinking about what overarching rules govern these functions. All of these measures are extremely important in getting our students to understand the wider universe around themselves and more importantly to get them to question what they see in-front of them. The history of science exemplifies that theories are constantly being tested and examined for frameworks are constantly changed to get a better understanding of the universe. 

 

Economics/Finance/Entrepreneurship:

This is a necessary subject that gives the student an understanding of the economic landscape that they lead their lives within. Understanding how the economic machine works is paramount to their success in a capitalist society. Especially within the confines of society that keeps changing exponentially due to technology improvements. Along with this, courses on the importance of producing (anything, goods or services) and becoming self-starting would also kick start the greater American economy. Most of this information is learned at one point or another within our lives so it would be prudent to include these lessons early for our youth to learn.

 

Physical Education

Probably one of the most important subjects that desist after students’ first year in high school, the purpose of physical education is to keep students active and teach themselves about the connection between physical and mental health. The building up of the physical body is important to making sure that all other aspects of ones life are able to happen. It is only if you are healthy that you are able to work, socialize and feel fulfilled. This is seldom touched upon within our schools. 

There should be time blocked off in the day, preferably in the morning to work both on the body and the mind. This would then allow for material to be digested later in the day. Nutrition, basic physical exercises and then ending with deep meditation would start our students off strong. All of these habits must be enforced early on while still in elementary school so that students can build upon this discipline and once they reach high school then can begin to work more independently and work towards discovering their unique paths in life. 

Within this subject, sport is extremely important as it teaches many invaluable lessons that may not be found in the academic classroom. What pain is, how to work in teams to achieve goals and the power of leadership, discipline and perseverance are all important lessons that every student should be exposed to. The benefits of strenuous physical exercise are innumerable and I could not add much to the scientific studies that display this. Why then is this subject not mandatory for all students through their senior year?

An important topic that is not much taught in schools is the art of focus and concentration. Mobile phones and their applications constantly bicker to compete for our attention. In my own classroom, I saw that students constantly scroll and refresh to see what new posts appear on their feed. This addiction is no fault of their own. After all, if you give a monkey a gun, it will inevitably hurt someone. Within physical education, courses or workshops on the power of the mind, and meditation will be extremely useful. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has warned of the impending mental health crisis afflicting our youth. While the rise in mental health problems are connected to a variety of sources, an education on the mind and what can be done to control it will be an invaluable skill that should be afforded to students.  I cannot add more than the literature that already exists about the benefits of meditation but to say that the earlier that we get our younger people to learn how to focus and concentrate, the higher quality lives that they are able to live. I have linked the study below that showed the benefits of including meditation in schools around the world in the UK, China, Taiwan, India and the US.

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“A conceptual model is put forward based on two propositions: proposition 1—meditation positively influences student success by increasing cognitive functioning; proposition 2—meditation positively influences student success by increasing emotional regulation.”

 

Both of these subjects about health education should be continued through the completion of highschool to make sure that a strong base is achieved within the early years of the student’s development.