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%EXCLUSIVELY HIGH STANDARDS 770928
Many educational programs maintain and defend
exclusively high standards of excellence in programs of
specialization. In the name of excellence they demand
their best students' total effort in narrow programs of
specialization---to the exclusion of respect for, valuing
of, interest in, and attention to complimentary foci which
are essential aspects of integral perceptions and lives.
Students within such educational programs of "excellence"
are given many subtle signals that coerce them into
adopting the narrow perspectives and values of their
authoritarian mentors. The value messages are rarely
overtly given in a context which encourages an unbiased
examination of their propriety. The value messages are
usually given through body language, glances, tones of
voice, innuendo, silences, ignored topics, etc.---messages
which are not open to discussion. Through such messages
students are encouraged to achieve excellence in narrow
avenues of specialization.
Professional specialists seek to fulfill themselves
through their students. They covet their students'
success in ways which are valued by the narrow specialty.
Such success will be undermined by their students having
affairs with other disciplines, so such affairs are
discouraged by comments critical of other disciplines in
terms of the values of the critics own specialty. Respect
and support of the student is made provisional, dependent
upon faithfulness to the value system of the narrow
specialty. Excellence is defined in terms of such
faithfulness and exclusivity.
Such possessiveness and jealousy tends to block
communication between specialties and undermines integrity
in transdisciplinary study. Members of different
disciplines tend to be suspicious that each other will
seduce their best students into perceptual patterns which
are questionable and misleading, so the best students are
kept close to home doing high level research within the
specialty---in preparation for more intensive
specialization in graduate schools which will bring honor
to the mentors.
High standards become counter-productive when they
become exclusive---when they prevent students from
achieving the breadth necessary for acquiring fresh new
insights. High standards may become idolatrous and block
communication; i.e., promote sin. When that happens
education is not liberal, it is imprisoning.
(c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in
www.essayz.com Search for Integrity and Honesty
(On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)
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