Against schools Essay

The condition Against Schools is a very intriguing article or could case great debate and concern just about commonplace information governances in America today. Born in Monongahela, Pa, John Taylor Gatto is a retired America develop teacher with nearly 30 years of experience in the school system. Gatto is a recipient of m either poses such as The refreshing York City Teacher of the Year award in 1989,1990, and 1991 and The New York State Teacher of the Year award in 1991. He is broadminded perilous of compulsory schooling, and author of several books on teaching.Gatto voiced his belief that the public school system that we use, is not in that respect for educational means instead, exist to fulfill the function to weaken children in the long run. After reading Gattos article and reasoning for his opinion, I harmonize with Gattos belief. His article explains how our system was constructed and its purpose. I felt that the blames he made displayed a lot of truth in them and it brought to reality effects about public school systems that I would take in never opinion to call into question or recognize.In the article Against School, John Taylor Gatto channeles his outlook that the public school system isnt there for informative measures, instead it exist to fulfill six covert functions meant to cripple our kids. (Gatto 14 ) He speaks about the public school system not being of what we think and how it originates from the Prussian culture, which is a system by design intentional to produce ordinary brainpowers that atomic number 18 simply ran. He emphasizes in the article how mandatory schooling has encouraged children not to think at all as a result expiration them school term ducks for the modern era of marketing.(Gatto 148) Gatto states the fact that do to the training in school, we have become a nation of children, happy to surrender our judgments and our wills to political exhortations and commercial blandishments that would insult actual a dults. (Gatto 148) The article goes on to express Gattos opinion that the school system encourages children not to think for their selves and children should be taught to manage their own lives. He says that he feels the solution is to simply let them be their true selves.One of the major points that Gatto explains in the article Against School is how the public school system originates from the Prussian culture and how compulsory school was intended to be just what it had been for the Perssia. According to several sources, Horace Mann, credited as the father of the Ameri jakes public school system, study a wide variety of educational models before implementing the Prussian system designed by Fredrick the Great. big businessman Frederick created a system that was engineered to teach obedience and solidify his control.Focusing on following directions, basic skills, and conformity, he sought to indoctrinate the nation from an early age. Isolating students in rows and teachers in ind ividual classrooms fashioned a strict hierarchyintentionally fostering fear and loneliness. Mann chose the Prussian model, with its depersonalized discipline and strict hierarchy of power, because it was the cheapest and easiest means to teach literacy on a large scale. Social efficiency theorists who sought to industrialize the educational surgery perpetuated this system throughout the early twentieth century.Led by educators such as Ellwood P. Cubberley, they used education as a tool for social engineering. Building upon the depersonalized accordance and rigid hierarchy of the Prussian system, they constructed an industrial schooling model designed to produce millions of workers for Americas factories. Believing that most of Americas students were destined for a life of menial, industrial labor, these theorists created a multi-track educational system meant to sort students from an early age. plot of land the best and brightest were c arfully groomed for leadership positions, the majority was relegated to a monotonous education of rote learning and task completion. Consequently, our schooling system is still locked into the Prussian-industrial framework of fear, isolation, and monotony. For both students and teachers, procedure is emphasized over innovation, uniformity over individual expression, and control over empowerment. It is, therefore, not surprising that the majority of Americas classrooms have changed little in over one hundred years.(Web) Gatto makes this point by stating these historical facts in his article. Gatto as well gives examples of the outcome of compulsory school, which he says, results in adults that are manageable beings. He says those adults by things they dont need because they are trained to believe they give some sense of proudness resembling a telly to order more things on TV. Gatto states, Easy answers have removed the need to ask questions. (Gatto148) The point is distinct proven by Gatto in the article which is that mandatory education serves children incidentally its real purpose is to knead our children into servants. (Gatto 149) He feels that instead of let the government managing our children, the solution is to let them manage themselves. The best charge this can be achieved in Gattos vision is through homeschooling children. When I thought about the public school system, I did not ever question its purpose but to be anything but benficual to children. I thought it was to en combusten them and bring out their true individualism and make them productive citizens in society. I correspond with Gattos article after recalling back to my experience in school.Everything was so ordered and strict, to mold everyone to be what was told of them. I did from time to time question the why can I not do this that air or why can it not be something else and I was always told by my teachers because this is the right way. Everybody does it like this so you have to as well or you are wrong. Gatto says th at schooling structures us into the reliant, mindless adults we are in ways like easy divorce encouraging us not to work on relationships, easy credit removing the need for fiscal control, easy entertainment removing the need to entertain ones self, etc. (Gatto148) It does not make sense that if we are each individuals, then why are we taught and ma to think the same. Gatto feels the solution is to go back to the original way and possibly teach children our selves, preferably at home not in a institution and the government should not really have any say so over it. I believe that yes children should be encouraged to be who they truly are and explore their minds deepest capacities however, there should still be some stucture in their lives outside of home.They need to learn to coexist with others and their own ideas as well. I do not agree with the idea of homeschooling completely. With the economy being the way it is families have to work to provide for there families and some famil ies are single parent homes, therefore leaving no time to instruct the children to proper way. John Taylor Gatto purpose for wring the article Against schools, was to bring to light the issue that our government is corrupting Americans from the beginning through something almost everyone supports, Our educational system.Gatto more than prospered with attainment of his point being acknowledged. I was stunned to discover that the American public school system is one designed to casts an beings mind to be what its told to be, not what it is suppose to be or wants to be, and that is very disturb to me. Gatto bringing the origin of the public school system to light did his work justice. On the contrast, I do not believe that the resolution is to teach children at home.In conclusion, the reality of it is even though the system is corrupt and controlling, it has been operating for years and no one has changed it. We will never be able to curtail the government, so the best is to just mak e do the way we can. Works Cited 1. http//thenewamericanacademy. org/index. php/home/our-philosophy-menu/the-prussian-industrial-model. 2. Gatto, John Taylor. Against Schools. Rereading America. 9th ed. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, reasonable Lisle. Boston Bedford/St. Martins, 2013. p141-150.