To complete "primary education", students should complete a minimum of 10 necessary 'qualifications' in core disciplines in no particular order of importance:
- Physical Science (chemistry, geology, physics, neurology, biology, etc)
- Social Science (sociology, anthropology, archaeology, psychology, ecology, animal behavior, ethnology, etc)
- Primary Language (reading, writing, critique, culture, etc)
- Secondary Language (reading, writing, critique, culture, etc)
- Fabrication (painting, sculpture, machining, shop, etc)
- Mathematics (arithmetic, algebra, calculus, etc)
- Civics (Politics, Civic systems, current events, geography, economics, environmentalism, entrepreneurship, etc)
- Philosophy and Knowledge (logic, history, critical thinking, religion, etc)
- Physical Education (athletics, sports, movement etc)
- Life Skills (home maintenance, domestic skills, cooking, banking, sustainability, etc)
- Technology (computers, programming, tools, invention, innovation, etc)
- Additional Languages (reading, writing, critique, culture, etc)
- Outdoor Education (ecology, outdoor survival, hiking, nature, etc as long as it is taught outdoors)
- Culture (music, drama, literature, art, history, etc)
- Interest (music, dance, drama... anything; including a second qualification in any interest)
A 'qualification' in this context would consist of 3 serial classes in a subject, showing increasing skill or mastery in that subject.
Students can earn a double qualification (6 classes), but that would not entirely excuse them from studying other disciplines. Based on the old theory that in order to be well-rounded, it is important that citizens have a diverse area of knowledge; not simply a specialization. Thus, students would be incentivized to study broadly, at least to a point. If students would rather specialize in, say 6 subjects a little more (over half of the baseline of 10 subjects), then they would need so show some mastery of those 6 subjects.
For the fun of it, I figured out a draft concept of this:
First Qualification (3 classes total) = +1 full token of "diversity understanding" or some such thing
Second Qualification (6 classes or credits) = +1/3 token of diversity understanding (student would now have 1 1/3 tokens of 10)
Third Qualification (taken a total of 9 classes in a single subject) = +2/3 token (now has 2 tokens)
Specialization (like an associate's degree; 3 more classes = 12 total) = +1 (= 3 tokens)
Additional focus after specialization (15 classes total) = +1/3 (= 3 1/3 tokens)
Sustained focus after specialization (18 classes) = +2/3 (= 4 tokens)
Double Specialization (approximately a Bachelors; 21 classes) = +1 (= 5 tokens)
Additional focus after Double Specialization (24 classes total) = +1/3 (= 5 1/3 tokens)
Sustained focus after specialization (27 classes) = +2/3 (= 6 tokens)
Triple Specialization (approximately a Masters degree; 30 classes) = +1 (= 7 tokens)
Additional focus after Double Specialization (33 classes total) = +1/3 (= 7 1/3 tokens)
Sustained focus after specialization (36 classes) = +2/3 (= 8 tokens)
Quadruple Specialization (approximately a Doctorate; 39 classes) = +1 (=9 total tokens)
And so on.. pattern repeating. Or, in another way to say it:
| Single Qualification | Double Qualification | Triple Qualification | Specialization (~Associate) | Additional focus | Sustained focus | Double Specialization (~Bachelors) | Additional focus | Sustained focus | Triple Spcialization (~Masters) | Additional focus | Sustained focus | Quadruple Spcialization (~Doctorate) |
| 3 classes | 6 classes | 9 classes | 12 classes | 15 classes | 18 classes | 21 classes | 24 classes | 27 classes | 30 classes | 33 classes | 36 classes | 39 classes |
| +1 | +1/3 | +2/3 | +1 | +1/3 | +2/3 | +1 | +1/3 | +2/3 | +1 | +1/3 | +2/3 | +1 |
| 1 token | 1.3 | 2 tokens | 3 | 3.3 | 4 tokens | 5 tokens | 5.3 | 6 tokens | 7 tokens | 7.3 | 8 tokens | 9 tokens |
But even with a Quadruple Specialization, the student would have to achieve a single qualification in 5 more subjects. True that they would earn 14 tokens total. Which is well over 10... but just learning a tiny smattering of one other subject really wouldn't be a diversity of understanding, and thus would not qualify as a "complete primary education". Even a Quadruple Specialization in two subjects (ostensibly earning 18 tokens) would not count as a "complete primary education". It's not diverse. The student would still have to earn a single qualification in 4 more subjects (in total, earning 22 tokens, but who's counting at this point?).
Or, to put it another way:
| Single Qualification | Double Qualification | Triple Qualification |
| 3 classes | 6 classes | 9 classes |
| +1 | +1/3 | +2/3 |
| 1 | 1.333333333 | 2 |
| 2 | 2.666666667 | 4 |
| 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 4 | 5.333333333 | 8 |
| 5 | 6.666666667 | 10 |
| 6 | 8 | 12 |
| 7 | 9.333333333 | 14 |
| 8 | 10.66666667 | 16 |
| 9 | 12 | 18 |
| 10 | 13.33333333 | 20 |
(White spaces showing a successful "primary education")
So a student would still need to know something about 8 subjects if they earned a double qualification in each, only 6 subjects with a triple qualification, or higher in each. Or a Specialization in one subject (3 total tokens) plus 7 single qualifications in other subjects (7 more tokens), and -- taking one of those qualifications as an 'interest' as defined above -- the student still only has to know something 6 different subjects.
Which areas the student chooses to study shouldn't really be the concern. We need people to know a lot about all of these. Their choice in the matter will ensure that their qualifications and specializations are in something they actually care (at least a little) for. Thus, they will be the better candidate for that subject than someone who's just doing it for a general education requirement. Don't push English, or even physical science, in the requirement venue. Share how in-demand these skill are, how much hiring manager value this or that subject area. But requiring certain subjects just tends to hegemony. And who wants that?
That's certainly not the focus of this theory.
So there's my theory. I like it pretty well.
Any improvements are more than welcome. Can anyone else think of another category of courses?
No comments:
Post a Comment