Against School

Against School

John Taylor Gatto

Against School is an article that represents the writer’s view and his experience in the American schooling system .This articles were written by John Taylor Gatto. He is an American teacher who spends thirty years in good and bad schools in Manhattan. He found out that boredom was his specialty as teacher. Also he was not the only one who was bored as an instructor and if we ask the teachers about their boredom they will blame kids. Whereas kids blame the way that teacher represents the materials. Actually he does not knwo whom to blame .He should to blame the teacher who spends more than 12 years in the same school programs with tough rules or students who have to obey these rules . One day, he complained from being bored to his grandfather and he said to him the boredom is his own fault .since,he Understands that we are childish people who get bored, he he tries to help the kids in the class to avoid this feeling.After he retired in 1991,he felt that through his experiences in teaching ,we can destroy the old and bad structure of education and help kids to get interested in learning instead of just indoctrinate the subjects to them .Moreover,being More flexible and simple with the students about their attendance at class and school, homeworks and tests ,it will built a good capacity and responsibility. Therefore,They will take a risk from time to time by making decisions .This is his assumption about improving schooling system. On the other hand, he said we do not do that now but why not?.

Gatto believes that our educational system Limits the potential of the students ,makes him accepting the order and believes everything that he sees and hears. So according to him, the students are interested only in grades rather than learning the subject and improving himself . Furthermore, he asks if our school system exists to make children never being better. So what the benefit from the school? And why we still need it? With this useless system.He supports his view by mention some Americans people who were succeeded and they did not go through the schooling system but they were taught by someone such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln. “Self-knowledge is the only basis of true knowledge.” ― John Taylor Gatto. He argued that people have incorrect thought about the school is a synonym for success by saying that most people find a way to educate themself without going to school. Also he add that the goals of our cultural traditions schools into the United States (1905 -1915) make good people and citizens who have the best personality. Moreover, the schools goals still the same now according to Gatto.

He continues about the most influential person in education on the twentieth century that he makes the style and degree of standardized testing .His name is James Bryant Conant who was a president of Harvard for twenty years. Otherwise, he reminds us about Inglis purpose of of modern schooling who is a lecture in education at Harvard .he said that he breaks down the tradition purpose of the schooling system to six functions which are not so useful because the education was obligatory.

He argues that since the school teachs the children not to think for themself no need to study marketing to know which group of people easy to convince ?. These groups are addicts and children. Moreover the schools have to the appreciation on making children addicted according to Gatto. They actually consume more than they needed. School has the greatest role in making kids belive what they say and hear and they do not have the ability to make decisions about it .They use to accept any advertising and declaration. So we are now just kids who want to spend more than they need. On the other hand ,I personally I agree with Gatto’s points of view but what if I prepare my children to be creative and responsible? Does the school system has the authority to change him?.

Finally, the new education system should give the kids the opportunity to be the employee and the consumer .So the schools goals now should be to build good people who can be thinking independently, obeying reflexively and having a meaningful life. “Genius is an exceedingly common human quality, probably natural to most of us.” ― John Taylor Gatto Lastly, He believes that genius is a common condition that we can create it but we have to support it not to destroy it.

Resource:

1-http://www.wesjones.com/gatto1.htm#source.
2-https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/41319.John_Taylor_Gatto.