Thursday, September 04, 2003
Pencils down, please.
And the correct answer is:
C) Napolean's defeat of the Prussians at the Battle of Jena in 1806
In this battle, the largely conscripted troops of the Prussian army broke and ran, refusing to stand and give their lives fighting for a country and a leadership to which they held no particular allegiance. The Prussian leadership was aghast. In an effort to deal with this problem, they started the first state-run compulsory schools. Prior to this event, schools were either affiliated with a church or they were private institutions.
The Prussian mandate gave control over the education of children to the state rather than parents. By requiring the children to begin schooling while still young and impressionable, spoon-feeding them pretty much whatever the authorities wanted was simple. (this is where our "kindergarten" comes from) The state also began controlling the licensing of teachers, further assuring that only approved viewpoints would be taught.
So that's why we're mostly good little citizens, doing our duty as it's been taught to us since childhood. Our programmers have become quite good at their jobs, to the point where it's rare indeed that an individual is able to overcome their conditioning. Most people go to their graves still believing what they were fed as chldren.
And the correct answer is:
C) Napolean's defeat of the Prussians at the Battle of Jena in 1806
In this battle, the largely conscripted troops of the Prussian army broke and ran, refusing to stand and give their lives fighting for a country and a leadership to which they held no particular allegiance. The Prussian leadership was aghast. In an effort to deal with this problem, they started the first state-run compulsory schools. Prior to this event, schools were either affiliated with a church or they were private institutions.
The Prussian mandate gave control over the education of children to the state rather than parents. By requiring the children to begin schooling while still young and impressionable, spoon-feeding them pretty much whatever the authorities wanted was simple. (this is where our "kindergarten" comes from) The state also began controlling the licensing of teachers, further assuring that only approved viewpoints would be taught.
So that's why we're mostly good little citizens, doing our duty as it's been taught to us since childhood. Our programmers have become quite good at their jobs, to the point where it's rare indeed that an individual is able to overcome their conditioning. Most people go to their graves still believing what they were fed as chldren.
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