Due 9/11/07 "Of the Education of Children"

In the piece "Of the Education of Children," Michel Eyquem de Montaigne places much emphasis on the strictly detailed way of education that should be used when tutoring young pupils. He encourages things like giving the child all the information needed to make the correct learning assumptions, and to acquire sufficient skills and knowledge, but allowing the child to come to these conclusions on their own, as if equipping the children for every subject, but letting them learn personally. He also places emphasis on not just shoving information and facts into them using memorization tactics and repetition, but allowing them to explore and learn through things like life experience and creativity with structure. Reading this essay, and exploring the issues of education that we are faced with today, it is easy to realize the shortcomings of not only our education system here in the united states, but also around the world. If it's impossible for children to even have sufficient resources for learning, such as educated professors, supplies for teaching, adequate facilities and so forth (some things we might take for granted in the United States), there is no way for children around the world to even have a chance to experience the type of learning Montaigne suggests. Furthermore, if the children have any type of impairment where stereotypes and discrimination is involved, especially in countries that are less fortunate, they have little chance of succeeding. This article about changing the attitudes of children in Hungary with visual impairment, I believe, addresses this issue. It reminded me of the subject of education that Montaigne was writing about, and it speaks to an issue that is still facing the world today.

http://jvi.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/18/2/61