First Chapter :
Hirsch advocates teaching a core knowledge that emphasizes specific information for students to learn.
A core knowledge is a "lasting body of knowledge, which includes such topics as the basic principles of constitutional government, mathematics and language skills, important events in world history, and acknowledged masterpieces of art, music and literature" (I, pp. 28-31).
Hirsch also believes that a child should acquire a broad vocabulary because it is "an index to broad knowledge, and broad knowledge, extended over time, is the key to depth of knowledge and to a general ability to learn new things" (C, p. 9).
General knowledge should be a goal of education because it "makes people competent regardless of race, class or ethnicity while also making people more competent in the tasks of life."
This general knowledge includes knowing facts. Hirsch says that highly skilled intellectual competence only comes after one knows a lot of facts (A).
A core knowledge is a "lasting body of knowledge, which includes such topics as the basic principles of constitutional government, mathematics and language skills, important events in world history, and acknowledged masterpieces of art, music and literature" (I, pp. 28-31).
Hirsch also believes that a child should acquire a broad vocabulary because it is "an index to broad knowledge, and broad knowledge, extended over time, is the key to depth of knowledge and to a general ability to learn new things" (C, p. 9).
General knowledge should be a goal of education because it "makes people competent regardless of race, class or ethnicity while also making people more competent in the tasks of life."
This general knowledge includes knowing facts. Hirsch says that highly skilled intellectual competence only comes after one knows a lot of facts (A).
