The following is from the current ARRL Web Page article “Is Your Club’s License Class Really Efficient?”

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“ I met the group in the morning for the experiment. I did nothing more than provide them with a printed copy of the Technician Question Pool and set them only to reading it for three hours--no lecturing, no explaining, no teaching. We took 15-minute breaks every hour, had lunch at noon and came back for three hours in the afternoon. At 4 PM we administered the test. It was all over in just one day. “

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I wonder when we shifted from encouraging folks to learn about Amateur Radio as moved to a “just study the question pool mode.” This concept unabashedly touts relying exclusively on short term memory to pass the Technician test. It doesn’t even pretend to promote remembering the material beyond the test much less understanding the material.

If this is the new paradigm we ought to consider cutting costs by dumping The Big Project, cutting the entire Education Staff and just publishing a monthly journal and books. Wait a second --- if all we need to know are the answers in the question pool why bother with a journal or books?

I’m going to have a tough time challenging those who say we are “dumbing down” Amateur Radio if ARRL is promoting this.

Jay, KØQB