Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Horowitz Homers (again)

There's a kid I know in grade 7 at one of the blackest of the black hat schools. He doesn't learn any chumash or navi or loshon (aside from a few out-of-context midrashim presented every Friday under the heading of "Parsha") What he learns is Talmud, practically 24/6.

I think this is outrageous.

If we taught math the way yeshivas teach Torah, we'd force all of our sixth graders to begin with calculus, without first teaching them algebra or trigonometry. Talmud (as I often tell anyone who will listen) should just one component of a comprehensive ultra-Orthodox curriculum. Our children should be taught chumash and navi, with mephorshim, together with Hebrew grammar and vocabulary. These are the building blocks for future success at Torah study.

Today, I discovered that at least one, professional ultra-Orthodox educator agrees with me.

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