Yitzchok Levine has excerpted six issues from Berel Wein's original article which raises crucial issues facing curriculum panners. They are: Lack of skills and proficiency in Hebrew; The weak study of Nach; the early introduction of Mishnah and Talmud; the issue of fantastique aggadeta; lack of basic, general knowledge; and distortion of history.
1. Almost all of these issues can be traced back to the lack of adequate teacher training. Teachers very often either lack subject matter knowledge and /or lack of pedagogy of the subject matter and/ or lack of general pedagogy. Even if a person is "baki" in an area, that does not ensure that s/he will know how to teach it. Nor does it ensure that s/he will know how to teach a given age group. It certainly does not ensure that s/he has 'bikiyut' in the other areas of Judaic curriculum. So the primary area that needs a first-aid IV is teacher training, and professional development.
2. I will briefly repeat what I have already written on this forum in relation to Hebrew language skills. Nation, Laufer and others in separate research carried out in several countries and in relation to several languages, have concluded that a person needs 95-98% vocabulary coverage to understand a text. And an 80% coverage (i.e. understanding) of the text will lead to an average grade of 70 on comprehension tests. Comprehension does not include the ability to answer thought provoking questions.If we don't teach language, they will not know it and they will hate the subject.
3. Nach needs to be taught with the full dramatic, political,geogrphic and moral context. Nevi'im achronim, Divrei hayamim and Sefer Melachim (both) need to be taught in tandem. See Devora Rosenwasser's PhD thesis on this subjet.
4.For an exciting and doable Mishnah and Talmud program look into Meir Pogrow's bikiyut program "MasterTorah". In any event, Tosfot was not written for elemetary, or junior high-school. Let them get their walking papers first in bikiyut.And someone needs to break the mold of "Talmud LaTaf..."
5. Aggadeta... I agree basically with everything that's been written in this thread. I still remember the disappointment when we started sefer Shemot in class and I read ahead to find the story of the child Moshe burning his tongue on burning coals... and not finding it. A former student who now teaches at several seminaries including a Baalot Teshuva program was perturbed as to how to teach certain fantastique Aggadot to her students. Obviously, some teachers are asking the right questions and need answers. As for Rashi... Mefarshei Rashi always deal with the aggadot that are "far from the p'shat". This forum does not need me to list all those who deal rationally with symbolic and /or allegorical interpretations of fantastique aggadot found in Shas and other Midrashic compendiums. But teachers need to Know and use the resources when preparing their lessons..(Back to the question of Teacher training).The particular Aggadah on OG does not appear in Rashi on Chumash to the best of my knowledge. And I venture that not many schools get up to Berachot daf nun-dalet...
6.Lack of basic general knowledge--A committee needs to sit down and make up a list of general knowledge for school levels (e.g. grades 1-3, grades 4-6; 7-9; 10-12). Schools can of course add to this list, but there should be a consensus of what basic knowledge we expect the students to know (e.g.Grades 1-3: names of the months in Hebrew. The 12 Shvotim. The Parshiyot of Sefer Bereishit; parasht haAkeda; Grades 4-6:parshiyot of sefer Shemot, and Bamidbar.The dates of Jewish holidays.Shirat Hayam; zman Nakat;yoknehaz; Grades 7-9: the shoftim; the parshiyot of Sefer Vayikra and Devorim; etc).
7. History-- I will leave this up to Rav Wein to comment on.This is a problem all over. A school in France recently asked for a study day for their staff on this question.
One more personal comment: Of 8 boys from 4 different familes who have come to Israel in the past 6 years, all from the greater NY area and all having attended religious schools and Yeshiva HS for 12 years, not one could read a perek in chumash with Rashi on their own, when they arrived. Not one could read a Perek in Mishna on their own; to say nothing of a Blatt Gemara. They could not follow a dvar Torah in Hebrew at the table.Their knowledge of Hebrew language was nil... non-existent, actually. Some were in the "highest Gemara shiur" in HS.Their SAT scores are well above avaerage. Several have scholarships to college or university.And ther friends were of the same calibre (and they all attended well known programs here). Ironically, many girls that come actually have better skills. Here, the school they attended in the States is significant. Although most of their knowledge base is still English and not Lashon hakodesh.
Kol tuv,
Debbie Lifschitz
Jerusalem
