American Education. Many people in the United States believe our educational system is in crisis. In this essay, I will be comparing and contrasting the differences and similarities between two articles. The author of Idiot Nation takes us on a tour of failings of America’s schools. He touches on topics of cultural illiteracy and the relationships between schools and corporations. In another article, the author of In the Basement of the Ivory Tower confirms some of the suspicions about the policies and standards of American higher education. These articles share similarities and differences as well.
Professor X, the author of In the Basement of the Ivory Tower, is a part-time instructor
of English in a college. The author describes how many of his students need serious work in
“basic skills”. Few of his students can do well in his classes. Other students may never pass,
because they cannot write a coherent sentence. The Professor has encountered many students
lacking the capacity to succeed in his English classes. Similarly, the author of Idiot Nation,
explains how many of the students attending college are ignorant. They have serious problems in
learning and knowing facts that they should know for fact. These two articles demonstrate the
problems that college students have when it comes down to education.
In contrast, Professor X relates to the students and has sympathy towards their problems, but the author of Idiot Nation, does not seem to relate to these students. Michael Moore is aggressive and does not justify the idiocy of the students. Professor X talks about how he wishes to help his students write more intelligent essays. He understands the students’ difficulties in learning and frustrations. Furthermore, he tries to find solutions, such as relating the literacy techniques they will have