The goal of understanding

The physicist and educator Richard Feynman once said "I don't know what's the matter with people.  They don't learn by understanding.  They learn some other way- by rote or something.  Their knowledge is so fragile!"

Well, these days they don't learn by understanding because their educators are being told that understanding cannot be a learning outcome.  Why?  Because it can't be measured.  I'd like to know how many educrats are proud of the effects of this view.  

Knowledge continues to be fragile.
Students continue to struggle with real-world applications.
Students continue to struggle with critical thinking and creativity.

One contributing factor is the fact that we virtually ignore understanding as a goal of education.

You can't apply what you don't understand and you can't think critically or creatively about what you don't understand.

Until we stop obsessing on measuring and start focusing on learning, things will not improve.

If you don't understand that, thank an educrat.