Education - Assumptions versus History: Collected Papers (Paperback)

A collection of previously published articles in which the author takes on established notions or "pseudo-ideas" in a way guaranteed to create controversy. He does not accept the current fashions, but probes questioningly for reality, eschewing sham and "in" concepts. He always holds to the essential truth - children can learn if those charged with this responsibility are working on the real problems. He has little patience with the empire builders and has trenchant things to say about IQs and their use, black children, colleges, intellectuals and tuition tax credits. Much of what he professes is based on extensive research, and whether he bursts a favorite balloon or disagrees with one's pet dogmas, he is a challenging warrior in a field choked with clices. Sowell's cogent arguments are not easily dismissed. He is old-fashioned in the sense that he believes schools can work well in the worst ghetto. He has seen students learn whom many would have given up on. He is sober and unfashionable, but qualified to state that there need be no "special" way to reach black children in order to have quality education. Give them structure, interested and demanding staff and get rid of the small percentage that threaten to destroy the potential of the majority. Many will be uncomfortable, even furious, at the way he debunks unexamined shibboleths of the educational establishment. However, he is an incisive critic, and until there are some reasonable answers to his questions, trouble looms. A rewarding collection for those prepared to read it with an open mind. (Kirkus Reviews)

In the papers collected in Education: Assumptions versus History, Dr. Thomas Sowell takes a hard look at the state of education in our schools and universities. His imperative is to test the assumptions underlying contemporary educational policies and innovations against the historical and contemporary evidence. In a well-reasoned and engaging style, Sowell discusses the controversies over affirmative action, race and IQ, tuition tax credits and academic tenure. The experiences of blacks and other ethnic groups in the American educational system are examined closely to identify the factors and patterns behind both success and failure. In writing of the bitter controversy over black intelligence, he asks if there "was really anything to explain? Is there anything peculiar about either the level or the pattern of black IQs? " when compared to other groups. The author addresses university education in several essays, including one that uses the insights of Thorstein Veblen's classic 1918 work, Higher Education in America, to assess the condition of the modern university.

General

Imprint:	Hoover Institution Press,U.S.
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	November 1985
First published:	November 1985
Authors:	Thomas Sowell
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 15mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	204
ISBN-13:	978-0-8179-8112-9
Categories:	Books > Social sciences > Education > General
LSN:	0-8179-8112-8
Barcode:	9780817981129

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