Republican Congressman suggests that we don't need funding for education because "Socrates trained Plato on a rock." Well you can't argue with logic like that.

Rep. Dave Brat.

Courtesy of Think Progress:

During a House Education and Workforce Committee proceeding on Wednesday to reauthorize the nation’s elementary and secondary education law, Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA) said, “Socrates trained Plato in on a rock and then Plato trained in Aristotle roughly speaking on a rock. So, huge funding is not necessary to achieve the greatest minds and the greatest intellects in history.” 

He began his remarks by saying, “The greatest thinkers in Western civ were not products of education policy,” before mentioning Socrates and Plato. He later went on to say that he thinks the answer to improving education in this country “would be to get private sector folks into every one of our schools, get the CEOs in the schools and move beyond this just narrow policy debate and really have a revolution.”

Well first off you don't "train" students, you train dogs.

Secondly if Plato and Aristotle had not been highly intelligent students then their education would have been less impressive, and in fact Aristotle taught many students whose names we do not remember because apparently Aristotle's lessons did not impact them the same way that they did Plato.

In fact Aristotle was quoted as saying he did not so much teach as serve as a midwife to the truth that was already within his students. As any educator will tell you that is not a valid methodology for educating large numbers of students in the classroom.

And third the idea of privatizing education. and inviting business people and laymen to teach students. demonstrates a real lack of respect and understanding of what teachers do.

Being an educator is a calling, and if you do not possess that burning desire you will fail. Period.

There are some with an innate ability to reach their students, but without the education to teach them properly these people would still fail at their jobs.

Look I have been in a lot of classrooms, in a lot of different capacities, and I can tell you that some instructors lose the class before they even finish writing their name on a chalkboard. While others can captivate their audience even while teaching the toughest and least entertaining material.

I would ask this Brat fellow how he would suggest we teach computer science on a rock? Or chemistry? Or any other of a hundred incredibly complex subjects which require hands on materials and up to date textbooks?

Personally I would ignore this idiot, if it were not for the fact that he and his fellow moronic Republican colleagues were not in a position to truly screw up education in this country.

Oh and by the way, just in case you were wondering, Brat himself has both a Masters and PhD.

And somehow I doubt he received either of those while sitting on a rock.