Sir, – The desire by Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn to eliminate rote learning in order to foster critical thinking in the Leaving Cert may need to be modified. Why does it have to be an “either or” choice where we have to pick between the two?.
Some professions require the ability to memorise vast amounts information and rote learning is at the heart of this. When I visit the doctor I am grateful to find someone who has learned about the human body and the various conditions that affect it and can then critically decide what course of treatment to follow. Critical thinking works best when a person has an inherent knowledge base to explore their ideas against.
What is at stake here is the question of how we train people to develop and use their memory. This does not have to be eliminated in order to develop one’s ability to solve problems. Both are needed. – Yours, etc,