Shortly after the turn of the millennium, the gurus of progressive education coined the term twenty-first century learning. After all, what is the point of a new millennium if we don’t take the opportunity to try something new? Who cares if there’s no evidence? If it sounds good, do it!

The sages of twenty-first century learning resisted defining their term. They preferred wise sayings. One remnant of ancient wisdom in their creed was Aristotle’s emphasis on critical thinking. His penchant for knowledge, though, not so much.

The Ministry of Education disseminated the sages’ wisdom on the Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) website. “We need to understand the changes in the meaning of terms such as knowledge”, they intoned. As it turned out, this meant that knowledge was to be abolished.

In 2007, the Ministry’s twenty-first century learning illuminati graced us with a new curriculum. True to their doctrine, the document was long on inspiring slogans and very short on knowledge.

Another thing to be abolished, along with knowledge, was teaching. TKI quoted one teacher as saying, with the air of a repentant sinner, “I am no longer a teacher; I am a facilitator. I help students on their journey. I do not create their journey; I guide them on their path.”

One can almost smell the incense.

Students became ‘learners’ and were encouraged to forge their own paths, provisioned with a cornucopia of digital devices. It was brave. It was inspiring. The sages were motivated by the best of intentions.

But you know what they say about the road to hell.

Many learners became hopelessly lost. Their paths all too often ran in circles. They took to the technology with enthusiasm, though.

The result is a generation of young people that is all over social media but not so great at reading, writing, or knowing things.

So, knowledge has been evacuated from the curriculum, teachers have been sidelined, and students must find their own paths. Yet critical thinking remains essential.

In other words, students must teach themselves to think critically about nothing.

Unhappily for the priests of twenty-first century learning, it looks as if they will soon be defrocked. The counter-reformation is underway.

Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, has vowed to bring knowledge back into the curriculum. She wants expert teachers to take charge in their classrooms.

It comes as no surprise that the Minister completed her education during the twentieth century.