General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: All the crazy MAGA QANON hate points to a failure of our public education [View all]Jedi Guy
(3,171 posts)I graduated in 1998. And though I also grew up in the south, I had the good fortune to go to one of the best schools in the state. When I was in high school, the honors and AP courses were very heavy on critical thinking and debate, much more so than rote memorization and regurgitation of facts. The AP US history exam, for instance, demanded that you have those facts memorized but also required you to understand/interpret what they meant and how they all worked together (i.e., the critical thinking bit).
I'm saddened but not surprised to hear that AP classes aren't turning out students that are better educated and prepared for university, though. I recall reading over the last several years that schools have drifted away from requiring students to write papers, which is putting their graduates at a huge disadvantage going into higher education. Essays and the like aren't required to hone critical thinking skills, I suppose, but they sure do help.