The name sounds vaguely familiar.

Einstein wasn't really an average student. He excelled in math, but was average in other subjects. Being a "genius" doesn't mean you're good at everything. Einstein was a genius in physics and engineering. In other areas, he was average.

I agree that schools should try harder to teach students to think on their own, but they still have to learn the basics, too. Without a solid foundation of knowledge, free thinking just leads to flawed ideas.

There are a great many people worthy of the word genius walking among us. What they learn in the current education system rounds out their view of the world. This hopefully prevents them from becoming evil geniuses.

Dwayne Anderson, Einstein at his graduation from College had the equivilant of straight c's. You really do not know what you are talking about do you. Yes this does include the following subjects, Math, Philosophy, physics, French and engeneering.

We need to find a common ground in the education systems. For instance it's kind of hard to say that 2+2 is not 4. But everything else must be chalenged.

I see the methods of education being challenged constantly. I had a professor that took us outside to give his lecture under a tree. But he still lectured. It's just that it's hard to find a better way to provide knowledge (facts, wisdom, data) than by a teacher spewing it in lecture, while kids write it down in their notes, read it in the chapter and get tested on it later.

What do you mean 'few restriction?'. I can get any 'knowledge/facts/data' I want without a formal education setting--just sitting in wikipedia all day or in a library. Our 'systems' are paid to prove you learned it, however, not just teach.

Challenge a history book? How would I propose to know more about history than the author if I'm a student?

Most classes aren't for teaching 'thinking', instead they're for imparting 'knowledge.' Arguably physics and math can teach 'thinking' and a philosphy, engineering or art teacher may teach both 'knowledge' and 'thinking,' but you're graded on how well you understand Aristotle, Kant, Schopenhauer--how well you get the knowledge. Challenging their ideas is something you can do in your essay, design or painting later. Teachers have to prove you're learning--forming your own ideas isn't 'learning.' Mostly they don't care what or if you 'think.' They're not paid to.

A diploma is the deliverable from an educator--it says you were taught and learned--it doesn't say you can think.

Here is one example of Albert's grades. Here is the Wikipedia article on him. Here is an article about the myth that Einstein failed school. Every reference I have found says he was a fantastic math student.

Yes, he was up until college then he got straight c's.

You are right but upon graduation his final grades were straight c's.

soemthing that might not work for one person will work for others. That's why we have special education for students of behavioral problems, learning disabilities and support for the disabled at high schools and colleges around the US. I think the education system works pretty well. We need to start somewhere, or have a basic schooling style, then start changing whatever doesn't work.

It's not what we're teaching kids but how we're teaching kids. I say teach to the extent of the speed the child can learn, therefor let them decide their own speed and direction. Start listening to kids. They know what they're good at and what they need help with and what they like or dislike about their teacher. But never put a kid into special education when they have no learning disability other than maybe very extreme mental handicap, because my dad worked with perfectly normal people only labeled as "special ed" that now can't do math because they were only not taught it as a kid, even though that wasn't their disability. If you ever teach less than they can learn then you are denying them of there own true potential, stunting their intellectual growth process, and denying them knowledge, and all future benefits of that youthfully acquired knowledge.