I’ve had bad stroke of luck these past few weeks. It seems that my SAT scores which placed me in top 10% of American students 8 years ago would be considered merely average by todays standards. Well, standards is a misleading term because the only modern American standard is conformity, but the new 2400 scoring would place me squarley in the range of normal. My, how I’ve declined achedemically since droping out of high school!
Still, there’s a second bit of news that makes me glory in my decision. Back in my day, when we did homework the teacher gave it back to us drenched red ink with comments, such as “Good Work!”, “Incorrect”, “Seek Psychiatric Help!!!”. This was the way the world operated and we were content with it.
No more. Some hyperoverprotective parents and progressive teachers decided that red is really too harsh a color, and might damage the young students profoundly delicate self esteems. Aww, my ass bleeds for these youngsters! So what did these pseudothinkers decide to do? Why, we’ll use purple instead!
Ok, so you want to use purple instead. Let’s look at these purple scenarios by the local idiot boy, Tommy:
1) 1+5 =
Answer: 14
(Techer’s comments in Purple) Excellent work, but needs improvement!
2) Who was the third president of the United States?
Answer: Marco Polo
Super job, you repeat the third grade! Terrific!
As you can see, any manner of reenforcement, whether positive or negative, is out. Evidently, we’ve decided shameless patronizing is better for the psychological well-being of our children. Because nobody is really evil, they’re just bipolar.
Beyond a certain age everybody should be responsible for their own actions, and the education system is currently going to great lengths to hinder any sort of preperation for that reality. I personally want to see responses like, “Stupid Answer!” and “Do Better!” on returned homework. In the long run, it is more merciful because students will go to great lengths to either get it right or learn to support their answers. At the very least, it would dismantle the rampant self-delusion that is so overwhelmingly common these days (Book Reccomendation: Fight Club).
I predict that in 20 years time, after all the kids that currently see purple have gone through the system, we will see complaints about purple ink and how stressful it is for our kids. Hey, why evaluate students at all? Just tell all children that they’re a perfect gift from heaven and send them directly to prison once they graduate.
,,,, * * -II