Education and Truth: Indispensable Constructs
https://rss.com/podcasts/american-education-and-policy-and-dr-leah-lester
Education and truth are under attack, as "reality" is a fleeting idea. This era has been called the post-truth era, and many are indifferent to whether they hear the truth. Some have called truth subjective and have determined that alternative facts are ways of viewing circumstances, particularly when seeking to advance an individual's agenda. However, as truth and knowledge have been attacked in our universities and schools, which have historically been places to acquire knowledge, understanding, and the truth, educators are consequently also under attack. Learning is being diminished to the point where a disregard for truth has become blatant, and the qualifications for distributing that truth are also reduced. However, individuals who are thinkers and educated must not resign themselves to making change, and cannot simply turn a blind eye as if the attacks are not occurring. Today, I am calling out champions for change to fight the agenda and the schedule to turn America into a nation of lies, deceit, and insincerity.
I grew up in a time when education was valued and viewed as necessary for Americans to attain a certain standard of living. A formula for success was to do your best in school, go to college, and receive a degree to meet the standards for gainful employment. This formula seemed to work well for young people at that time. One's career trajectory included steady gains in money or career, or even entrepreneurial adventures. The presumption of viable employment was part of the American dream. Education has been relevant in America and around the world for truth, as education depends on truth, because education lacking truth is mere ignorance. We who are educated in truth have the responsibility to preserve and uphold the truth.
Education's Value is Global
Although some in America view education as inconsequential, for others, education has been merely about acquiring knowledge to gain power for the exploitation of the market and people. Although some people's motivation for education is little concerned with making the world a better place or loving their neighbor, the truth is that the status of schooling worldwide has not diminished, as knowledge is still power, and education's value worldwide remains strong.
Another thought concerning education's value is that more education does not necessarily equal a better existence for mankind, either. Consider that, as a nation, we have some of the best institutions in the world, yet our country cannot balance the budget, address the climate crisis, control crime, or fix families in disrepair. Education is valuable to the world, but attaining it must not be for the sole purpose of making money or achieving power. We wake each day to a time in our nation when our healthcare may be inadequate due to high costs, and affordable living is far out of reach. Yet our young people are encouraged to attend school; the question of why must be considered by every young person who pursues higher education. Do you exist simply to make money, or to perpetuate a system of oppression? The value of education lies in its purpose. The purpose is to see one another as interconnected as we are educated to elevate this human experience.
Education's Standards are Global
As a young teacher, I can remember learning to teach by applying a particular formula to demonstrate best practices, and then, ten years later, I was taught that what was true then is no longer true. What I learned was no longer helpful for that time. Truth at one time or situation may not be the truth in another circumstance. Truth may be seen as residing in an objectivity or what is known by students, teachers, and researchers. However, evidence-based truths are those that work best and are discoverable by those with objective eyes, applying curiosity, inquiry, and commitment as we seek understanding of the world we live in. Schools play the role of encouraging critical thinking, investigation, and discovery. We commit to the truth as we relate to it and reflect on it. Truth and education go hand in hand, but are effective at different times and places. Student knowledge is measured worldwide, and although student test scores vary from one nation to another, the value of education in America must be upheld; if the purpose is right, then a competitive standard cannot be the goal. Global skills are an integral part of the evolving complexities of the worldwide market.
As education unlocks elements of the human spirit, including empathy, compassion, and, yes, even love for the people of the world, only then will we see clearly the transformative spiritual nature of truth, and we will overflow with gratitude as we nurture and flourish globally. We must recognize that knowledge and truth are not for competition but for the benefit of mankind globally.
Education's Fruits are Reliable
As educators, we must practice reflective practices to experience an inward quiet mind. Resonating within us is a desire to understand the differences within our diverse student population and to see the commonalities. We recognize that we must demonstrate virtues that we develop from applying equitable practices in our instruction. The virtues I once possessed have increased to where I empathize more, and am learning to speak with kindness more, and bear the burdens of others more, thereby bearing fruit that remains.
I have learned that my degrees, my position, and my journey are more of a spiritual connection to "Truth" than a vehicle for the consumption of money and power. I meet students of every kind, but what I have learned is that the biblical saying "how can they hear without a teacher" also proves effective in the classroom. Parents do the best they can, but educating children requires a joint effort involving parents and schools. The church, the school, and the home all play significant roles in village education. When children are provided with the necessary exposures, the likelihood of successful values and sensible behaviors will be the expected outcome and reliable fruit of their lives. One may have come through a traditional grooming structure, applying different values and standards to one's own children, and then wonder why they do not convey the same values and wisdom as one has. The fruit of proven inputs cannot be ignored, as truth is a spiritual connection we must achieve if we are to provide equitable education for the children of the world. That educational fruit will not be what we have seen in some leaders, driven by power and oppression, but instead by love and peace.
Just as climbing a mountain is impossible without physical fitness, so too is it without specific gear and mental fortitude. Understanding navigation and survival in an emergency is necessary to succeed. My point is that in our lives, we need proper training to become strong adults so we can stand in difficult times. If children are to be ready to survive even to adulthood, adequate training for success is necessary. Knowing the tools needed and possessing the skills and nutrition needed will produce a reliable product. Education looks inward and looks outward to connect to real truth.
Education, the Indispensable Construct
Man exists for a purpose, and that purpose must not be for selfish consumption. Our education must also not be for selfish, perpetual oppressive purposes, but rather for learning how to make our relations with mankind more equitable and more fruitful. According to the Gospel of John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. Man's existence for the purpose of glorifying God must be considered as we seek knowledge and truth. God is love, and if we produce policies that do not promote love, we have moved away from what will make a more equitable world. If we see our brother in need, we are to respond with tangible help and not with vain words. Tax money spent educating our students must prove worthwhile and advantageous for human connection to education and truth.
Jing Lin, Shue-kei Joanna Mok, & Virginia Gomes. (2024). Embodying Deeply Held Values in Education: Seeking a More Equitable World for Both Humans and Non-Humans. ECNU Review of Education, 7(2), 241–251.
Roberts, P. (2023). Education, truth and subjectivity: Revisiting Kierkegaard. Oxford Review of Education, 49(3), 376–389. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2022.2091536
Source: Education and Truth: Indispensable Constructs
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