In this he answers what (to him) it truly means to be educated and he starts by quoting Wilhelm von Humboldt a leading humanist and Prussian Philosopher (1767-1835), who said that \u201cThe core principle and requirement of a fulfilled human being is the ability to inquire and create constructively independently without external controls.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

We love that – \u201cto inquire<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

Prof. Chomsky then relates the story of one of his colleagues at MIT who would \u201c\u2026tell his classes it’s not important what we cover in the class, it’s important what you discover.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

That is a wonderful statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not important what we cover in the class, It’s important what you discover.<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think back to our own education, the Teachers we really remember were the ones who inspired us, let us dream (so long it was about their subject!) and let us discover.<\/p>\n

The great Professor continues:<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be truly educated from this point of view means to be in a position to inquire and to create on the basis of the resources available to you which you’ve come <\/em>to appreciate and comprehend<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

To know where to look, to know how to formulate serious questions,\u2026to find your own way, to shape the questions that are worth pursuing, and to develop the path to pursue them. That means knowing, understanding many things but also, much more important than what you have stored in your mind, <\/em>to know – where to look, how to look, how to question, how to challenge, how to proceed independently, to deal with the challenges that the world presents to you and that you develop in the course of your self education and inquiry and investigations, in cooperation and solidarity with others.<\/em><\/strong>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Such education cannot be learned through just sitting in a class and being told what to remember for the exam, nor through reading a self help book, but actually by getting your hands dirty, by becoming involved, by having a guide who will fine-tune your direction whilst allowing you to make your own mistakes, and through this, learn, grow and understand.<\/p>\n

Children should have scrapes on their knees and mud on their shoes, because if nothing else, it shows that they have not been wrapped in cotton wool, that they have raced around the playground. But more importantly this teaches them that if they run too fast around the climbing frame, they will slip and scrape themselves. It is a lesson well learnt and deeply remembered!<\/p>\n

The same is true of learning later in life at companies – all organisations have a responsibility to develop their employees, to allow them to discover though learning but also discover through mistakes, the best way forward, both for the good of the employee, but also for the company.<\/p>\n

There is why the saying: \u201cTheory and Practice are the same\u2026.except in practice!<\/strong>\u201d, is so important for all to remember – this learning in the real world outside of the classroom is essential.<\/p>\n

Let us return to Prof.Chomsky –\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cto be in a position to inquire and to create on the basis of the resources available to you which you’ve come to appreciate and comprehend.\u201d<\/em>\u2026and most importantly to \u201c\u2026proceed independently.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

We begin to recognise that this is the foundation not just to a good workforce, but to a great workforce, and why micro-managing is so insulting and degrading. \u201cI can do it on my own, without you hanging over me, thank you very much!!<\/em>\u201d is always the frustrated thought from the poor employee.<\/p>\n