Why Are We Taught to Memorise and Not Learn?

I am a TA, watching a teacher come into primary school and have to be taught by the kids what a "fronted adverbial for time" is. Why? Because we used to teach people how to write instead. The Average Lesson.Children today you will write a letter to Willy Wonka. You must use the following success criteria: I can use alliteration I can use the rule of three I can use direct address The children will be assessed only on the inclusion of these techniques. Their effectiveness is irrelevant. The emotion they incite in you is irrelevant. Creativity is irrelevant. Perspective is irrelevant. The children must learn the techniques.This mind numbing process is the responsibility of one Michael Gove. You may remember him from "the people of this country have had enough of experts," an interview soundbite that more or less summarised Brexit itself. Gove was Education Secretary from 2010-2014, and fundamentally restructured English at schools, introducing a SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)…