I mentioned the subject of education in an earlier post. I could easily devote the entire blog to this extremely important subject.
As the years (and decades) roll by, we continue to hear of the problems associated with our educational system. And not just in the U.S., but in virtually every country. I recently saw research stating that a billion people on this planet are illiterate or functionally* illiterate! That's just mind-boggling to me.
Borrowing from the Scientology Effective Solutions website:
The future of this world will one day rest in the hands of our children. How well equipped will they be to carry society forward? Perhaps the surest gauge is the success of our educational systems in preparing them for that role; from all indications, this responsibility is not being met. At a time when new technologies and the constant avalanche of information have made the ability to read, understand and apply information more important than ever, learning proficiency is not keeping pace.
At the root of educational failures lies a fundamental problem that has been almost universally overlooked: Students have never been taught how to learn.
Children are thrown into their school years and basic subjects without ever first being taught how to go about learning those subjects. As they grow older they are confronted by more and more complex areas of study, still without ever having acquired the skills with which to assimilate information, evaluate its relative importance and put it to use.
This has been the vital missing ingredient that has hampered all fields of study. It handicaps both children in school and adults in life.
Thus, many students find education a trying and difficult process. They never master the ability to rapidly learn something with certainty and ease. Others, even though they apparently have less difficulty studying, find they are unable to apply what they have read.
It is a reality of the modern world that anyone in the work force, whether on the factory floor or in the executive suite, must have an ability to assimilate important information, retain it and then be able to apply it. This process, whether formal or informal, is what is meant by “study.”
During the course of his development of Dianetics and Scientology, author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard recognised the failings of modern education and training. His extensive investigation into the problems of teaching others led to a breakthrough — the first comprehensive understanding of the real barriers to effective learning. From this, Mr. Hubbard developed a precise technology on how to learn any subject — a technology that ensures a person will not only fully grasp what he is studying, but proficiently apply what he has studied in work or in life.
These breakthroughs came to be known as "Study Technology.” They provide the first fully workable approach to teaching people exactly how to learn. Used throughout the Scientology religion in all its churches, missions and groups, it is also widely used outside the Church, in schools, homes and businesses.
To the millions of people around the world who have learned and now use this "Study Technology", life is very different. They can approach a subject, any subject, and come out the other end with the ability to apply it. If they find themselves getting "bored" while studying a math book, they know there is a specific tool that will solve that problem. It is not solved by looking dreamily outside the classroom and wondering when the bell is going to ring. It is not solved by closing the math book and turning on a video game. And if this problem persists, it is certainly NOT solved by labeling the child dysfunctional and then drugging him silly.
When a child gets too bored or anxious or frustrated to continue with his classwork, there IS A REASON for this. The reason is not a chemical imbalance. The child is missing a very important piece of his education: HOW TO STUDY.
Did you know people can get headaches while studying? Did you know a person's eyes can start hurting while studying? People can get dizzy and go totally blank WHILE READING. What I mean by "blank" is they just sort of mentally fade out while reading something. Did you know that people can even get angry simply by going past information they didn't fully understand?
Headaches, eyes hurting, dizziness, going blank, getting angry — these things happen to people who DO NOT know how to study. And when these kinds of things happen to people who DO KNOW how to study, well they can quickly detect what study tool needs to be applied and presto! the headache is gone, the eyes stop hurting, they are no longer dizzy and they simply continue studying right along. I understand if you're thinking: "I have to see that for myself!" Well, millions of people have and first hand experience with L. Ron Hubbard's study technology will satisfy even the toughest skeptics.
This next point is very, very important: If the teacher or parent does NOT know that a technology of study exists, they will give other reasons for the boredom, anxiety, headaches, anger, etc, that they see in the student. That's only natural. But when teachers and parents find out what this study technology can do, these symptoms (boredom, anxiety, anger, etc.) start to move off and in many cases simply disappear. It is always a breath of fresh air when we are able to locate WHY something goes off the rails and then fix it so it stays fixed.
As I think about this area of education, a question occurs to me: if there really IS a technology of study that truly gives a child the ability to detect and handle any difficulties they may encounter while studying, why in God's creation would you want to drug that child?
And another question that I keep asking myself: what are we spending these billions of lottery dollars on? For a few bucks per school district, we could get this priceless technology in use in every school. You want to see test scores skyrocket? You want to see kids excited about learning new things? You want to see schools accomplishing their purpose of REALLY educating tomorrow's leaders? A mere sprinkle of this study technology in grammar school, middle school, high school and even at the college level will accomplish tremendous positive change. And not because I say so, because it's already done so in countless classrooms.
Click here to watch a short video of teachers and students using this remarkable technology and the results it produced. Watching it myself, I had tears (of joy) that so much benefit could be brought to a classroom.
[If you are on a Macintosh, click here to see the movie]
I hope you took a few minutes to watch the video. It was a powerful portrayal of what can be accomplished with the right tools.
Teachers want to help. They want to educate. Children, before they accumulate reasons not to, DO want to learn. It really is something innate in all of us. But after continued failures down this line, both with the teacher and the student, other "solutions" enter in. Drugs are NOT a solution. Drugs are simply a new problem which I'll go into more depth in future posts.
For now, I simply want you to consider something that millions of people already know: a technology of study does exist. It can be learned by people very young. It can be learned by adults. It DOES put into a person's possession a new skill. A skill that can't be taken away. A priceless skill that gives the person the ability TO LEARN. A priceless skill that costs very little to implement in any classroom.
For more information on how study technology can help you in your area, click here.
* functionally illiterate — a functionally illiterate person has some ability to read and write but not enough for daily practical needs
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