It’s time to start teaching philosophy as a formal subject in our secondary schools
People not taught how to think will do it anyway; they’ll just do it badly
Shall we teach our young people how to think? The solution is in the Minister’s hands. Photograph: Frank Miller
At the outset of this difficult period in Irish history, it was possible to take consolation in the belief that crisis can pave the way for change. The International Monetary Fund quickly dashed such hopes, but there are still areas where change is possible.
Education is a field in which small but well-targeted reforms can make a big difference. One of the simplest options open to the Department for Education and Skills is the introduction of philosophy as a Leaving Cert subject. No single other step could so dramatically raise the standard of second-level education.