Skeptics Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [education]

Education is a process of imparting knowledge. It is typically associated with the formal, systematic process that includes schools and trained teachers, but also includes the informal "word-of-mouth" method where knowledge is imparted through the telling of stories and folk-tales.

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Did a series of PSAs about surveillance culture lead to schools in New Mexico getting Ritalin eliminated as a behavior-modifying drug?

I was reading up on Godfrey Reggio’s film, Koyaanisqatsi (1982) when I came across this claim on Wikipedia regarding some PSAs (public service announcements) he made for the ACLU in New Mexico in the 1970s; bold emphasis is mine: The television…
Giacomo1968
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Does student selection by private schools negatively affect nearby public ones?

I've heard several times that the existence of private or "charter" schools near public schools in the US harms public schools specifically because it draws "stronger"(grade-wise or socioeconomically) students away. Allegedly having "stronger"…
Scis
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Is the month of conception an important factor in a child's success?

This is a claim (or, rather, an hypothesis) made by Scott Adams in a recent blog post, "Parenting that Makes a Difference": My hypothesis is that the month you conceive is the most important factor in a child's success. And no, I don't mean…
Olivier Bruchez
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Does practicing writing essays make you better at writing essays?

We've all written innumerable essays from middle school onwards. All teachers appear convinced that this will improve students' essay writing skills. However, when trying to find out what this belief is based on, I found only a single study where…
Professor Flitwick
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Does New York City have a room for teachers suspected of sexually assaulting pupils?

This question over on Politcs.SE created a lot of argument over the pros and cons of unions in public services. One particular comment dated January 2017 by K Dog caught my eye: NYC is the worst. They literally have a room that holds teachers…
Paul Johnson
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Are Australian Teachers only paid for 25 hours/week?

This news article from news.com.au quotes Kathy Margolis : Despite all the time they put in, teachers are paid for just 25 hours a week, she added, as if they were part time. Is this true? Is it true in all states? (Or just in Queensland where…
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Did political analyst, Larry Sabato ever say "The higher the education level, the more likely they are to vote Democratic."?

According to an Politifact article, Is education level tied to voting tendencies?, political analyst, Larry Sabato said: "The higher the education level, the more likely they are to vote Democratic." — Larry Sabato on Tuesday, October 16th, 2012…
Abhijit
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Do Vietnamese schools officially require students to write with their right hands?

The Wikipedia article about bias against left-handed people states that In Vietnam, schools officially require students to write with their right hands, and some teachers of Grade 1 (when writing is taught) would implement that rule by deducting…
Michael A
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Are teacher salaries lower in high-need (low-income) school districts?

Research Spotlight on Hard-to-Staff Schools What characterizes "hard-to-staff" schools, those schools that have difficulty in finding and retaining qualified, effective teachers? Many are high-poverty inner-city schools or rural schools that,…
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Importance of teacher diversity in closing the achievement gap?

The Need for a Diverse Teaching Staff "It is also important to expose children to a diverse teaching staff within each of our schools. Every child has a basic right to a great public school with a qualified and caring staff, including educators who…
Michelle
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Are chances of succeeding in life increased if in school you were either the best or the worst?

I heard one day on the radio about a study that showed that people that in school were the best or the worst are the ones more likely to succeed in life. If you are in the middle of the bunch you will be an average dude basically. I tried searching…
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Does raising grading standards improve learning?

A Law College is proposing to raise the required grade average from 5/10 to 7/10 to graduate, claiming that it's going to improve the students overall performance. Are there any studies to support this claim? How grading works in this case Along…
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Are there 90% more computer science students and 90% fewer electrical engineering students than 50 years ago?

This article makes the claim that: While computer science course take-up had gone up by over 90 percent in the past 50 years, electrical engineering (EE) had declined by the same amount. The electronics graduate has become rarer than an Intel-based…
Drise
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Does learning a language improve memory and concentration skills?

When using the language learning app Duo Lingo messages often popup when the lessons are loading. One of those messages that pop up is the claim Learning a language improves memory and concentration skills Is this true? Image of claim made in…
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Was a "new world religion" memorandum signed in Strasbourg in June 2014?

There is a document which is shared on the internet these days. I saw it in Romanian language and then searching a bit, I found it in English as well: it refers to a "memorandum" signed in Strasbourg containing a list of weird rules which they say…
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