The School of An Empire
The "Flynn effect" -- the fact that each generation scores higher on an IQ test than the generation before it. Are we actually getting smarter, or just thinking differently?
~ James Flynn.
~ James Flynn.
Historians have it that, the present day school came from about 300 years ago, it came from the last and biggest empire on the planet - the British empire. They created a design that is wonderfully constructed, a design that is still with us today (Only God knows the design the future holds.)
Imagine, a system without computers or telephones but with data, hand written on pieces of paper and travelling by ship, this empire created a design that can be defined as a global computer. 300 years ago, that's how information was conveyed.
However, for this global computer to be in operation, they will have to produce another machine, called the school which in turn, will produce people capable of running this global computer.
Imagine, a system without computers or telephones but with data, hand written on pieces of paper and travelling by ship, this empire created a design that can be defined as a global computer. 300 years ago, that's how information was conveyed.
However, for this global computer to be in operation, they will have to produce another machine, called the school which in turn, will produce people capable of running this global computer.
The principles this school of the Empire was established upon, can be summarized into 3 points;
1. They must be able to read (share the same purpose)
2. They must have good handwriting because the data is handwritten (use the same syntax)
3. They must have the ability to do arithmetic in their head.
1. They must be able to read (share the same purpose)
2. They must have good handwriting because the data is handwritten (use the same syntax)
3. They must have the ability to do arithmetic in their head.
They must be identical, so that when you pick one and move him/her to another region, he will be instantly functional. Nevertheless, one noteworthy consideration why this empire created such an awesome design is to improve their naval support exploration which directly boosted their engineering skills and intelligence, especially during war times, when information on pieces of paper has to be on the move.
Note: This empire did have a fair share of defeat but only to those countries who implemented the same design - the school.
There is evidence from neuroscience that a portion of our brain when threated, shut down the pre-fontal vortex, the part which learn. Researchers believe Punishment and examination are seen as threat, so why did the architects of this empire create such a system like that? The truth is, it was needed. In the age of empires, people who can survive under threat were indispensable.
But the empire is gone, as a matter of fact, the ages of empires are gone. The reason the school (in its raw state) was created is outdated due to technological explosion, the question that now begs for our attention (especially in Africa) is, what are we doing with this design?
For example, what kind of jobs do we have today? Sugata Mitra did a research, he observed that, a student left alone with a computer within 9 months will reach the same standard as an office secretary. The students won't have to do arithmetic in their head in order to do the job of a secretary, they only have to read discernibly. One only wonder what the job, the future holds.
These 3 principles in many developed countries of the world, has not changed but a better understanding have been derived. Realistically speaking, every rapidly developing country has a very strong implementation of technology - complex computer skills in their ecosystem. And that's exactly how the design have been modified.
So let the younger generation have fun with the principles of the school of the empire, you never know what can come up based on the Flynn effect.
Note: This empire did have a fair share of defeat but only to those countries who implemented the same design - the school.
There is evidence from neuroscience that a portion of our brain when threated, shut down the pre-fontal vortex, the part which learn. Researchers believe Punishment and examination are seen as threat, so why did the architects of this empire create such a system like that? The truth is, it was needed. In the age of empires, people who can survive under threat were indispensable.
But the empire is gone, as a matter of fact, the ages of empires are gone. The reason the school (in its raw state) was created is outdated due to technological explosion, the question that now begs for our attention (especially in Africa) is, what are we doing with this design?
For example, what kind of jobs do we have today? Sugata Mitra did a research, he observed that, a student left alone with a computer within 9 months will reach the same standard as an office secretary. The students won't have to do arithmetic in their head in order to do the job of a secretary, they only have to read discernibly. One only wonder what the job, the future holds.
These 3 principles in many developed countries of the world, has not changed but a better understanding have been derived. Realistically speaking, every rapidly developing country has a very strong implementation of technology - complex computer skills in their ecosystem. And that's exactly how the design have been modified.
So let the younger generation have fun with the principles of the school of the empire, you never know what can come up based on the Flynn effect.
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