Many have issues with the educational system…students aren’t taught the same nationwide- things are unfair….

Would this work any better?

All students would be required to attend the same school system- no private, charter, religious or homeschooling would be allowed.

School would be year round, except for having the months of August and December off (there will be no holidays the rest of the year- only occasional days off to showcase outstanding achievement in any area whether it be science or athletics or performing arts or whatever. School day would be from 8am to 5pm. This would include a half hour for lunch and two fifteen minute breaks. There are two five minute bathroom breaks. Children would be required to sit at desks, and would have a tablet for their books and a laptop for writing assignments. Worksheets/paper would be distributed as required. There are  no lockers for storage, only hooks for outerwear.

All students would be required to wear the exact same brand of black pants, white shirt, black loafers and black socks. Students would get same brand cardigans, but each grade would be assigned a different color- first graders are pale blue, ninth graders are yellow, etc. Gym uniform would be black shorts, white tee shirt, white socks and white sneakers. again- all would be exactly the same so that no child would feel different. Each child would receive a black backpack.   They would also be required to wear the same weather appropriate outerwear, rain boots, hat, scarf and gloves where applicable. No one is allowed to accessorize their outfit.

School buildings would have large auditorium style rooms, one per grade. A maximum of 100 students would be in each room. Lessons would be projected onto a screen in the front of the room. Lectures would be a half hour in length per subject. Every child in the country of the same grade would see the exact same lesson- (ie Teacher A would deliver a lesson in addition. Every kindergarten  child would see this same teacher deliver the same lesson) Every day a different teacher would deliver the prerecorded lesson so that  there is a balance of perspective and style as well as practical description of work.

After each half hour subject lesson, there would be a half hour of practical application- like 100 math problems of what was just taught. There would be five teachers in attendance per room to give hands on guidance to students that might need help with the lesson. Only today’s lesson would be discussed though- no going back to go over something, no going forward with harder things. As with onscreen teachers, these hands on teachers would rotate weekly (the hands on teachers would be routinely shipped off to another area each week so that every child in the country has the ability to have the same teacher)

There would be some homework to reinforce things the student had trouble with that day. Children would also be required to read a book a week (their choice from list of grade level books) and write a paper or project that would be due on Mondays.

The subjects that would be taught would be:  grade level appropriate Literature, Composition, History, Math, Science, Mandarin, Spanish, Home Economics (including basic home maintenance), Chess, Athletics, Music, art, culture/comportment and hobbies/games. Not all subjects would be taught every day.

Children in preschool to third grade would be exposed to a variety of music, art and physical things. At the end of third grade each child will be tested for their aptitude and assigned extras based on where their strengths lie. For example- child A excels at piano, needlework and golf. After third grade, this child will be tutored in these area so that they could become a master in them. Every child must have three areas in which to master.

At the end of eighth grade students would be given an aptitude test for academic subjects. The subject that they score highest in will allow them to take an extra period of that subject. Whatever they do worst in will be dropped- Our piano playing, needleworking golfer will get an extra period of math and one less of composition.

At the end of twelfth grade students are tested on all things learned in school and given the next path. Our math, golf, piano, needlework student  has been deemed as an accountant intern. They will spend the next seven years learning the trade and putting it into practical application. They will also be allowed to compete in amateur golf outings.

So….

Every student gets the exact same opportunity to experience all subjects and areas, from a variety of teachers. They will have been taught by different races, nationalities, genders. They are given a chance to thrive in an area that they have aptitude for. They each have the exact same things…

Is this really a dystopian universe?

Are there merits to this?

Are there detriments?

I edited this from the way it first appeared this morning. I rarely use notes and after I published I realized that I had forgotten to add things…oh well…

73 thoughts on “Dystopia- Education”

      1. Strictly from a perspective of education actually sinking in, maybe. But that doesn’t mean equality and fairness have to take a backseat to it.

        I don’t have the answer. I do know now that we have experienced homeschooling (sort of), both kids seem to like this better than sitting in a classroom from 9-3. But, I believe they would best learn in a hybrid situation. Your dystopian example is too rigid to work successfully based on what I see and know about my own kids.

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  2. As usual, LA, you have given us a thought-provoking post.

    Learning, for young children, occurs as the result of the bond that develops between teacher and pupil. A detached, impersonal approach to learning would omit the emotional bonding that occurs naturally when teaching the very young.

    I always, however, have supported the wearing of school uniforms. Takes away lots of ‘peer pressure’ regarding ‘who is wearing what’ 🌷🤗

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    1. Point taken. I’m trying to think of a way that education could be fair and equitable for all. It all students are able to form a bond with a teacher, which would technically put some students at a disadvantage. This would make the learning experience exactly the same. (But…that doesn’t mean I disagree with you)

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  3. We all don’t have the same parent (s) or multiple parent-think step…if more than one marriage pushing us, driving forward and we don’t read the same books, inhabit the same opportunities. So many other factors driving the boat beside the teacher and the school.

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    1. So your thought is that parents play a large part in education of a child. In this example it would be a two parent household with one person working in the home. They would have time and energy to help child at night because all other obstacles are removed. Does that change the parental equation at all?

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    1. Ugh….online for fall. My daughter plans on taking 4 classes…technically 3 but she got accepted into a sociology class that counts for 6 credits. If there’s online on,y in the spring she’s only taking two classes or seeing if study abroad is possible. Figuring at this point she will be class of 2024 instead of 23. I don’t want her to rush through this (I wanted her to take a leave of absence but she’s excited for her fall schedule and doesn’t want to forfeit her leadership positions which she will if she’s part time) so ugh…

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      1. Yes, ugh is right. Are they still charging normal tuition? I hope they have reduced the cost. This is a sad situation for so many different things. FOR US, I can’t even imagine being told I have to do College from home with my parents… LOVE them, but you know what I mean. Well, I agree with her — it’s good to stay in school if possible. If she likes her schedule and leadership positions that is GOOD. ❤

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  6. That wasn’t all bad. And I guess it took a lot of consideration to put it together. 8 to 5 is harsh, and no summer – 3 months – well, considering kids have been home since march, I think 1 month summer vacation isn’t sounding that bad.

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  7. The uniforms part isn’t bad although I hated having to wear them in Catholic school. My girls said they were teased about what clothes they wore and they went to public school. Just because someone excels in something, doesn’t mean they really like it so to arbitrarily assign a lifetime career based on their strength may not work, unless you are also taking away personal feelings. Interesting though.

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    1. Do people actually end up doing jobs that they love? Or, do people take jobs that they’re miserable anyway, so why not put them in a position where they can at least excel work wise? I’m just throwing out some ideas about how we approach things….what happens if there are less options?

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  8. My first thought is this eutopian education schooling would cost a fortune, my second is 100 maths questions 😂are you a sadist!
    Though banning faith, private, charter, and homeschooling is a very good idea.

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    1. The goal would be the ability to master a particular concept in a day, the theory being you should know something completely before you go to the next step. And as for the other thing….read tomorrow….

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  9. In 1842, in Ontario, education changed from being the parents’ responsibility to the role of the state, as schools were established.
    Parents were upset about this, as they felt that it would be detrimental to the family !

    Education is never an ‘equal’ process. Children vary greatly in their ability to learn, and their motivation for learning, their levels of nutrition that assist learning, the stability of their homelives, etc.

    I homeschooled part-time, but, if I had a chance to do it again, which I don’t, I would choose homeschooling. 🤗🌷

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  10. I agree with a national curriculum, but not the way you present it. Aptitude for something doesn’t mean you like it, if you do not like what you are doing you won’t do it well and will be miserable. Uniforms, maybe, but I do agree with self expression if someone wants to accessorize I do not have a problem.

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    1. Well, what’s more important the actual curriculum or the teacher who presents it? Then, does self expression bring with it intrinsic problems? Does someone get ridiculed/bullied for their individual choices? Does someone get praised for them? Does someone feel bad that they don’t have something? It eliminates one source of stress that divides rather than unites. I’m just throwing out ideas…not saying whether or not I personally agree with any of this. Just thinking out loud

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      1. I feel that individualism is important in a balanced society, it allows those with specialized talents to excel. Specialized doctors for instance are important because they concentrate on one area, what they are good at and what they enjoy.

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      2. This exercise is more about how the society would function if everything were done for the good of the group as opposed to the individual….never fear…I’m going to play with this tomorrow too

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  11. So, no pro Golf Players? I notice that the arts and athletics are considered hobbies and not careers. That poor kid gets to be an accountant and not what he hopes for?
    For what it’s worth, I spent my Senior year of High School in a Private School with uniforms. I hated the uniform but I LOVED the concept. No more decisions on what to wear. However, you haven’t taken into account that people have different bodies, so there would still be teasing or bullying about how one fits into their uniform.
    For the rest of it – I’m exhausted on behalf of the kids. What happens to the ones who fall behind? Are they automatically put into labor and service intense categories? And the kids who are brilliant – are they stuck behind with their peers when they could be ‘groomed’ for higher education and productive jobs?

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    1. There would be pro athletes. Our example wasn’t suited to be a pro. Theoretically, all kids are being given the exact same education with the exact same expectations. It all comes down to being fair and equitable. Each child receives the exact same amount of resources. I’m just thinking outside the box…looking at what can be fixed, adjusted and improved. It all depends on what the biggest issues are, and how to improve education for all. But this is also dystopia, so it’s going to be a little skewered

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      1. Just trying to picture the ‘government’ in these scenarios. Everybody works. Everybody pays taxes. Presumably the Country’s infrastructure is taken care of. That leaves an awful lot of money floating around for the ‘ones in charge’. It’s beginning to sound a little like a Pyramid Scheme.
        Love the ‘outside the box’ thinking though. However, I don’t really want to see ‘inside the box’ either.

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  12. Well that was…interesting! Why are you not writing dystopian novels my dear. Seems like you’re well on your way.
    So equalize the playing field is the aim and the home life from yesterday seems to be conducive to parental involvement so on paper it seems fine, but does a one-size-fits-all society really make for the best overall social order. I see the individuality in the pathways you propose but it feels too ordered, too contrived, too option-less or too boxed in. Then there’s those rebels I spoke of yesterday so we’re back to the psycho-social angle…which one wins out.
    I feel like we might be delving into the idea that society, no matter how great the desire, can never be equalized…

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    1. I have thought about turning this into an actual short story. I’m trying to think about how to make things as one size fits all as possible, if you know what I mean. Going to an absolute extreme. And then coming up with the exact opposite…it’s fun to think of things as absolutes…wondering how to make things as good as possible for the majority…if that’s even possible….I’m just playing with some ideas… making my brain work

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  13. As with anything else, try as we might, things will never be equitable. I’m not being a defeatist on this, just an observation.

    My son teaches at an all girl’s school here. Best of the best prep school, with the girls hailing from all over the world. When COVID hit and we shut down, they all went home. Which meant they went back to places like Japan, Europe, Australia . . . Now, they will begin the school year online. And it won’t be a big deal because they all have computers of course. Whereas my daughter is a student teacher who will be subbing in an inner city school for now. And the situation, it’s vastly different.

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    1. I totally get the vibe that things can’t be equal….but I figured I would play with some ideas to see what people thought…what’s I,portmanteaus, less important, not at all important…

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  14. There is no equal. Teachers, kids, climates, buildings, family support systems are all different so to assume that one curriculum fits all seems idealistic/unrealistic to me. Perhaps best to teach kids to make the most of what they have, then work like heck to make sure kids have something to grasp onto, whatever it might be that they need.

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  15. That was quite the creepy scenario you sketched there, LA. I’m good with abolishing private schools of all sorts. The biggest problem in equalizing education today is the local tax funding structure. Rich areas end up with better schools than poor areas. All the money should be pooled and doled out equally. Every school would get the same funding per pupil. And the parents should get to choose the school their child attends. Schools that don’t get enough students would close and the resources would go to the ones people like.

    In the Netherlands, we learned that after high school, students are placed on one of three tracks based on their aptitude. Higher education is funded by taxes, not tuition. I thought it made good sense.

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    1. NYC has school choice in middle and high school. Kids apply to schools and then get accepted. Technically any child has the ability to go to any school….and NYC boasts something like 30 high schools that fall in top 200 in the country, my daughter having gone to one….her middle school was title 1 and received SO MUCH aid per student…I’ve seen all this first hand and participated in school leadership team…I do t know how equal it is

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  16. I like the uniform piece and the color per grade, but then again, I wore a uniform to, 1st thru 12th grade. The day is way too long. Especially for a kindergartner. Sending all students the same exact hours would be extremely beneficial for parents, especially those who are single patents or both parents work. A child can excel at something, but not have a passion for it. Something to consider. Younger students would definitely need more time to get up and move. Not sure if teachers would be willing to travel like the traveling nurses program. But, some may be willing to be traveling teachers.

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    1. Nah…My daughter said that her biggest regret from when she was younger was not studying mandarin. I just threw that in there fir her. But valid point

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  18. I do think there should be national standards (though it wouldn’t take much for those standards to get politicized or influenced one way or another), but with that needs to come the funding to make it happen. The fact that students can get access to certain higher level classes at one school and that class isn’t an option at another simply because there aren’t the funds for the teachers or the materials is really disturbing. I’ve seen this recently with my son’s GF as she will not be able to take even a fraction of the higher level courses he and my daughter have had access to, this with our district not being anything really outstanding. The materials taught should be as equal as possible, but I really disagree with a lot of the rest. Personal choice and expression are huge pieces to innovation later on down the line.

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  19. Was never a fan of uniforms.
    I think America could do much better with the expectation of everyone learning a language.
    I was watching a program about Switzerland recently, children there are expected to learn two languages—English and French I think.

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    1. My daughter wishes she’d started mandarin when she was younger. She knows she could start now, but it’s not where she wants to put her resources now…she is proficient in French though

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      1. I’ve heard your brain has an easier time learning languages when you are younger.

        My daughter took Spanish in high school and then graduated from college with a minor in Spanish. She took a semester of French as an elective and in some ways thought it was easy because she had taken Spanish—but in other ways she found it difficult–lol.

        My son took Spanish in high school but didn’t really enjoy it. 😦

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      2. Yes…earlier language learning is clearly better. Her college has a language requirement, though she does love the language as well as all things french

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  20. This is such a complicated issue, and I admit that I have no idea what the answers are. Although I have long thought that if we really want to make education an equal opportunity endeavor, then we do need to only have public schools, and each school should spend the exact same amount on each pupil, regardless of where it is located. I mean, if the President’s kids had to have the same educational experience as a junkie’s kids, don’t you think that public education would suddenly be much more of a priority? But then again, maybe that wouldn’t work at all….

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    1. I don’t know either. That’s why I tried to take out all the variables in this scenario…same teachers, same resources, same parental structure. How much does environment determine how well you will do academically? How about how smart you are? Resilient? Confident? My thing is, I think money spent is actually a small part…but what do I know?

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      1. Overall, I think it is a small part. But when some inner-city schools don’t have the money for current text books, or technology, etc., then I think that is a determining factor. That being said, in St. Louise we did pour money into one of the under-achieving inner-city schools, and I don’t think that it ended up being a success story. So who knows? It is hard to know how to fix things!

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  21. Some of this sounds pretty good to me, I like the idea that all schools get the same amount of funding and good teachers, however on the learning front what about the slower child, or the child that learns in a different way, the ones that need that little bit more? What would your school offer them?

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      1. If you want them to be the best they can be and they need that help yes, but that said I was never given as much attention at school, table 3 was pretty much left to do as they pleased, just think if I had had a little extra attention I could have been a brain surgeon, hahahahaha

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  22. Great idea for a story but as reality this system sounds like a nightmare! 😆 Here in the UK most children already wear uniforms to school and that’s not a bad thing. As for asking children to sit at a desk for 8 hours every day and all learn the same thing in the same way – it would never work. I agree with what Claudette said – it would destroy any natural love of learning. 😊

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    1. Well, I’m this scenario, love of learning isn’t really an issue. It’s what’s better for group as opposed to individual….but yeah…I don’t disagree…

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  23. We will be dipping our toes into this scenario this school year. Online learning is limited in effectiveness in reverse proportion to the student’s age. There is a strong social and emotional component to learning that will be missing without student/teacher interaction.

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