Hello everyone, 
This is an interesting discussion, and I wholeheartedly agree that
preparation for the GED exam does not lend itself toward education for
liberation and transformation. I think many educators, like me, are
sneaking in those social change, consciousness-raising bits wherever we
can. In my program, students, for the most part, are interested in the
economic benefits of earning the credential, not in empowerment or
liberation. So much of preparing for the GED is learning to take tests
well and in learning to suppress one's original, creative ideas in favor
of conformity to the expectations of the test. Students are often
frustrated by this when they have a strong defense for their answer
choices, but those choices are not what the book says is "right." 

This leaves educators in a dilemma: do we respond to our students'
authentic and stated desire for a credential that will allow them to
access improved economic situations, or do we push for education that is
about liberation and transformation even if that comes at the expense of
students' immediate needs? It seems that most of us dance as fast as we
can and try to do both simultaneously. I worry that this divided loyalty
to disparate ends prevents us from accomplishing either goal, or at least,
accomplishing them well. I wonder sometimes how much we really believe
that education for liberation and transformation is of ultimate value, or
if we still hold the suspicion that it is a luxury and an indulgence? If
we really believed its value and our economy recognized that value in
tangible ways, the discussion would be moot. Perhaps part of the problem
is that our capitalist, imperialist society does not actually value the
educational qualities that it says it does? 

In some ways, I guess the whole process of learning to "play the game" of
the GED could be consciousness-raising if we are honest with students that
this is, by and large, not the information that they will really need in
their lives. So much of their/our lives are about mastering that process
of learning the rules to whatever game we're playing - whether that's
getting a GED, landing a new job, or applying for Medicare. 

I don't know, maybe I'm in a cynical mood today, but that's my $0.02!
Take good care,
Karen

Karen Wyman