TEACHING STUDENTS TO THINK... IT IS NOW A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA. BUT WHY?

A Revolutionary new Idea: "teach students to think"????

I always thought that the purpose of all professional education was to teach students to think critically and creatively. Obviously based on what I read in the Sunday, January 10, 2010 New York Times this is not what has been happening our College and MBA business programs. It appears that we have been training "technicians" who apply the techniques but don't step back and ask "so what?" how can this be used?, what are the positives and negatives.

I was taught by the Jesuits at FORDHAM UNIVERSITY who emphasized the purpose of education was to learn to think for yourself, get and use the intelligence and make critical decisions based on what you learned and not just to follow the routines.

Maybe this is the reason we have so many failed companies and institutions since their leaders never learned to think. This is painfully apparent with the mess in Washington, State Capitals and major companies...

So, lets thank GOD that maybe we will return to the real purpose of education to enable students and graduates to think critically for themselves. I didn't know this was a revolutionary concept that deserved a major article in a once MAJOR, but declining newspaper, the venerable NY TIMES.

Bill Rothschild