21 century skills, Or education without educators
The Partnership for 21 Century Skills was created in 2002, with some participation of the federal Government. The most striking fact about the partnership is that it is done almost entirely without educators. Its founders are corporations, its board members are business leaders, and its founder Ken Kay is a lawyer. One exception is the National Education Association representative John Wilson, but he is no scholar either. This perhaps explains the striking ignorance of their concepts and proposals. The ideas they are trying to promote are at least 100 years old. People who promote critical thinking and problem solving should have at least learned some basic history of educational thought and educational reform, and understand the arguments for and against skills-centered education. There is a long, complicated history of research, debate, and reforming to tackle this exact question. It is quite clear that sophisticated thinking skills can only be developed in the context of specific content knowledge. There is still a lot of questions about what content should and should not be used to develop thinking skills, and about how these skills can be best developed.
It is understandable: business people do this from time to time. They believe the history of educational thought begins in 2002, when they decided to get together and fix education once and for all. They also believe education is such a mess because people who run it are stupid. So they put together some cash, send representatives, call summits, and start from scratch. But it is worrisome that many state governments, including my own have since joined the movement by passing laws, revamping their curriculum standards, etc. Here is a touching example of naiveté, from close to home: “Are 21st Century Skills a new fad in education?” – asks itself the Colorado Department of Education. And then it answers: “The 21st century skills are not a fad but rather the clear outline of skills that students must be able to use when they leave their K-12 school experience” (
Colorado Standards Review). If only all questions were that easy to answer. Is it? No, it is not. Well, I say it surely looks like a fad to me.
I would be the last to argue that K-20 curriculum does not need to change. I
have written about it recently, and believe it is in serious trouble. There is no question it is irrational, outdated, and is not getting better. But the 21 Centuries Skills is not a solution. You cannot improve something by gathering a bunch of people who know next to nothing about the issue. The belief that smart people can solve any problem is just not too bright. Another opportunity is wasted, another silly fad is taking people’s time and energy, another false hope introduced. I have to admit it is with guilty pleasure that I observe the captains of big business less smug now days. Perhaps they should admit that economy, just like education, is full of mysteries, and we are still learning about its workings. Should I call a panel of education theorists to put together a solution for American financial system? We can put together a sleek website, and a colorful picture for conceptual framework, just as pretty as it is pointless, just like
this one.
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21 century skills, Or education without educators
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