Reply #9: Curriculum

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

Having attended public school in Italy and the U.S., I have to say that the quality of the curriculum in the U.S. sucks tremendously. For all its faults, my Italian public education taught me to think in an interdisciplinary way, not just in the vacuum of whatever subject I was studying. Thus, when I studied Baroque music I was also taught what was going on politically, historically, literature-wise, architecturally, mathematically, scientifically and even recreationally at the same time around the world (not just Eurocentric perspectives).

In the U.S., as an example, my U.S. history teacher in 11th grade castigated me for trying to explain several factors going on inside France and England, which made the War of Independence more than just a quest for liberty or for the Crown. When I got an F in that paper, which noted that I wasn't supposed to discuss anything but U.S. history (France and England not being U.S.), my parents demanded a conference, along with the guidance counselor.

I also don't think the idea of letting students pick and choose subjects outside of the mandated core subjects is a good idea. Everyone should have a certain level of general knowledge in all disciplines, even if s/he does not 'like' them. I knew many classmates who hated math and didn't pursue more advanced math or science, instead picking classes like communications or yearbook.

I also think there is too much emphasis on after-school activities and sports, unfortunately perpetrated by college admissions. If you're a good student and can come up with cogent and individual thinking, that's not enough. You must also play 400 sports and 3000 instruments as well as volunteer 20309 hours of your time. If you can show you worked as a sherpa, you may even make it to Harvard or Yale. That's just bs. I went to college with many people who had so many other activities that I don't know how they managed to sleep. Yet, their thinking processes were very elementary. No wonder for many the freshman and sophomore years of college are preparatory - at best.

In Italy, I went to school in abysmal buildings, where the heat was at times working (but most often did not). The paint was peeling from walls, plumbing leaked and there were no after-school activities at all. We all took the same classes. I went to school on Saturdays too. I had so much homework. However, none of that was in the form of multiple choice tests.

Math problems were in word form. I had to write several papers for Italian literature or history or geography. And I also had to write papers in French. Although there was (and still is) an hour of Catholic religious instruction which is offered, I opted out and instead learned interesting stuff (such as the history of rock n' roll, knitting, crochet, etc.).

More importantly, then as now, I had to study and memorize lots of dates, facts and names because I'd never know when the teacher would call me up to the front of the classroom and test me orally. Yes, oral exams are the bane of Italian students.

All of this happened between elementary school and the first year of high school, including the infamous nation-wide year-end test after middle school, which consists of 4 days. The first day (which lasts 4 hours) is Italian. You have to write an essay based on several topics revealed to you on the day of the test (and these are not on the level of 'what you did on your summer vacation.' They are U.S. college-level essay type of questions).

The second day (another 3 hours) is the dreaded math exam (a bunch of word problems). At that time (in the 80s) sets and subsets were popularly taught in Italian math classes, as was algebra and the basics of trigonometry.

The third day (3 hours) was the equally frightening foreign language exam. You had to write a short essay in the foreign language you studied (in my case, it was French). There were also a few questions about grammar and literature.

The fourth day was the one everyone hated: the oral examination. You chose a topic and then you had to present and defend your overview in front of all your teachers. I chose the industrial revolution. I still remember it very well; I don't think I will ever forget it.

Yes, it was hard. Yes, it required homework and lots and lots of reading and studying, but now I am thankful for it. When I tell my U.S. friends about this torture, they think I'm lying. Unfortunately, recent changes by the Berlusconi administration have revised this curriculum and, for all its virtues, Italian education still loves memorization.