Hirsch's Philosophy Of Education Analysis
E.D. Hirsch
By Paul Denman
Philosophy of Education
Introduction Hirsch founded, who the Core Knowledge Foundation in 1986, wrote Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs To Know in 1987. He also co-wrote The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy in 1988. In 1996, he published The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them. Hirsch outlines a philosophy of education that focuses on a universal core curriculum that is structured to the point that every school teaches the same content in the same grade level. The intent of his curriculum is to create citizens that are culturally literate who can compete in today's world.
Hirsch's Philosophy Hirsch's ideology is considered extremely controversial. Although Hirsch is a liberal, he …show more content…
According to Hirsch, European Romanticism, has been a post-Enlightenment mishap, a mistake He says we need to correct. (Hirsch, 1996). Hirsch argues that we cannot blame the media, the breakdown of the family, poverty, racism, underfunding of schools or any other external factor for the unsuccessful education system. Hirsch believes the primary cause of education's failures is a philosophy of education derived from Rousseau and John Dewey. This philosophy, known as "progressive education," is based on the romantic ideal that each child has an innate, instinctive tendency to follow his or her own proper development (Hirsch, 1987). It would seem that according to progressivism the content of education is irrelevant; that students should be allowed to study whatever they are interested in. What is most important is the developing of desired skills such as problem-solving, decision making, critical thinking and other higher order thinking skills. This is one of the fundamental points of progressive education. According to Hirsch, European Romanticism introduced two main ideas to education. First, Romanticism …show more content…
Kaufer also believes by using this 'drill and kill pedagogy' by teaching more facts than issues, that Hirsch's method will fall prey to the Finn Syndrome. "Its much easier to convince a student that a nineteenth-century issue lives on than that a nineteenth-century fact is relevant. Once students see the connections between content and 'live issues,' they can begin to appreciate the subtle efficiencies and hidden relevancies of sources that they may earlier have dismissed as 'remote' " (Kaufer, 1989,
By Paul Denman
Philosophy of Education
Introduction Hirsch founded, who the Core Knowledge Foundation in 1986, wrote Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs To Know in 1987. He also co-wrote The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy in 1988. In 1996, he published The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them. Hirsch outlines a philosophy of education that focuses on a universal core curriculum that is structured to the point that every school teaches the same content in the same grade level. The intent of his curriculum is to create citizens that are culturally literate who can compete in today's world.
Hirsch's Philosophy Hirsch's ideology is considered extremely controversial. Although Hirsch is a liberal, he …show more content…
According to Hirsch, European Romanticism, has been a post-Enlightenment mishap, a mistake He says we need to correct. (Hirsch, 1996). Hirsch argues that we cannot blame the media, the breakdown of the family, poverty, racism, underfunding of schools or any other external factor for the unsuccessful education system. Hirsch believes the primary cause of education's failures is a philosophy of education derived from Rousseau and John Dewey. This philosophy, known as "progressive education," is based on the romantic ideal that each child has an innate, instinctive tendency to follow his or her own proper development (Hirsch, 1987). It would seem that according to progressivism the content of education is irrelevant; that students should be allowed to study whatever they are interested in. What is most important is the developing of desired skills such as problem-solving, decision making, critical thinking and other higher order thinking skills. This is one of the fundamental points of progressive education. According to Hirsch, European Romanticism introduced two main ideas to education. First, Romanticism …show more content…
Kaufer also believes by using this 'drill and kill pedagogy' by teaching more facts than issues, that Hirsch's method will fall prey to the Finn Syndrome. "Its much easier to convince a student that a nineteenth-century issue lives on than that a nineteenth-century fact is relevant. Once students see the connections between content and 'live issues,' they can begin to appreciate the subtle efficiencies and hidden relevancies of sources that they may earlier have dismissed as 'remote' " (Kaufer, 1989,