Learning history: school vs. self-directed learning

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2021-05-28 00:00:22

I hear this skeptical question quite often: What are the chances that self-directed learning will lead a student to a good coverage of areas of knowledge that would ensure a person's harmonious and healthy position in society?

This concern is understandable and universal. We all need to know that we need to wash our hands after leaving a public toilet. We need to know the dangers of environmental pollution and climate change. We need to understand basic rules of law and democracy. However, we also need to be aware that uniform thinking stifles creative breakthroughs.

Nearly everyone knows Donald Trump. Very few people learned about Donald Trump at school. Trump, God, Darwin, or Hitler are themes that one cannot escape in modern world. It is hardly possible to focus on one's passions and miss on those tidbits of information.

At the same time, majority of people believe that colds are caused by cold. Half of Americans do not believe in biological evolution. No amount of schooling seems to be able to prevent harmful myths from spreading (see: Myths are easy to swallow and hard to kill).