Against School

Reading Journal #1

Gatto makes large claims but terrific points in his argument against the "Compulsory" education of America's forever children. He raises many questions, the first being:

Are there different ways to learn?
Well yes in fact, Gatto dives deep into examples of successful people whom have received little to no education and been successful. Men like Carnegie and Rockefeller, industrial titans and by todays standards, highly undereducated. What about Ben Franklin? Was he undereducated because he did not go to a compulsory twelve years of school. Maybe, but what if his self schooling had been more sucessful than  any other schooling that we ourselves have received. Does twelve years of education push children to learn and develop or does it push them through being okay with mediocre and only finding the right answer and not learning from the wrong.

Are our public schools keeping us from growing?
In todays society, all educated people are consumers. But are all educated people adults? The school system tends to teach people to "Get" the right answer and not search for it. Technology has given society great things but also a disability, we can't think for ourselves. Isn't that where the most learning occurs? The six functions of public schools seem to assimilate all children into a population of people who are not free thinking and are born and bred to be workers in a society controlled by industry.

With all of the negativity towards compulsory education that Gatto shares, it is hard to believe that words within his essay Against School would inspire me more to learn. Yet he says that boredom is no ones  fault but your own and that we must all push ourselves to lead and adventure. Not only that, but think critically and independently and don't avoid the grown up material, strive to be better and you will never get bored. Words of wisdom.

Looking back on it, reading this essay was more inspiring than anything i feel i ever "Learned" in elementary school.