I learned of Tulane mathematics professor Maurice Dupré while engaging in some autodidactic learning of linear algebra using Pearson Education online tools. He appears in many of the streaming videos. A Google search on his name led me to his home page and a number of interesting papers, including "The Mathematical Seeds of Economic Collapse." I disagree with much of this report but one particular passage did strike me as well reasoned:
As far as education is concerned, much more attention must be paid to practical matters of living in our complex world. It is no wonder that typical inner city high school students pay no attention in class when almost nothing of real usefulness is taught. Every student must be taught how to grow basic vegetables on a small plot of land, how to prepare a decent meal, how to fix a car, how to fix basic problems around the home, and perform basic plumbing repair and small home remodelling jobs. In addition, each student must learn reading and basic mathematics, so as to be able to find basic information from books in libraries or online, and make proper economic decisions. Each student should accomplish this by the end of the eighth grade, after which the student should be prepared to enter the work world or go on to high school. High school should be restricted to those students who want to learn and make an effort to succeed. It may be that more students will learn literature and poetry if we restrict its availability than if we try to force it down their throats. In any case, there is little evidence that information can be efficiently forced into people's brains. By the time a student finishes high school the student should have mastered mathematics through calculus as well as a course in chemistry and a course in physics.
I know this does not embrace full separation of school and state but at least the author recognizes some of the basic problems with the current situation and offers some solutions to make education relevant.
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