Personal Criticism of 21st Century Literacy Skills

Criticisms of 21st Century Literacy Skills

            These literacy skills are designed in order to create better citizens for the 21st century society.  These skills have been put in place in order to counter the factory model of education which was generating a work force society through banking knowledge into students instead of forcing them to think critically about it. Despite these skills being put into place, it has not fully altered the current education system. Instead of schooling being a factory model, it is now shopping mall model. The current configuration of schooling has been changed to streamline students into selection of their own education stream. Schools are changed where students can pick and choose their courses and schools in order to go into the career path that that they desire.  These new skills are still educating for a workforce, but for a work force of problem solvers, independent thinkers, and decision makers.  While it is creating positive thinkers, it is still designed to generate capital in society. This raises the question about the point of education is, it is meant for the betterment for students as people or for the overall betterment of society. Education is defined by the process by which human beings learn and develop capacities through understandings of their social and natural environments, which takes place in both formal and informal settings (Barakett and Cleghorn, 2008).  While schooling is defined as education systems and processes organized through formal educational institutions (Barakett and Cleghorn, 2008).   In the socio-political system of education, schooling is influenced by outside actors who control policies and regulations that organize what occurs within classrooms.  Even though 21st century literacy skills are meant to help students, in turn it is meant to help the rest of society.  

            These skills are a positive influence on students in order to help them navigate the world around them, yet they need to be taught in a way that is meant for the student and not for everyone else. There needs to be a rise in how these student critically assess these skills, such as why are they being taught to view media in this way, or who decides that this is a sustainable way to maintain the environment?

LINK TO REFERENCE:

Barakett, J., &Cleghorn, A. (2008). Sociology of education: An introductory view from Canada (2nd ed.). Toronto: Pearson Education Canada.