Synthesis Essay Against High School

Although the betterment of society through well-equipped, morally upstanding citizens is undoubtedly a necessity, this conventionality should not inhibit a student’s growth or limit their education to group-think standards. For example, upcoming seniors typically assume that they have free-reign to specialize their courses and focus on personal areas of interest as the majority of required courses are completed. However, according to several states’ boards of education, a math course should be taken every year of a student’s high school career. Despite having taken the requisite number of math courses, one of a student’s limited block periods is now going to be coerced by a nonessential math course extraneous to their focus. While mandatory
courses are essential to the development of a well-rounded individual, such classes should not impede the maturation and expansion of a student’s interests. Therefore while mass conformity is necessary in some situations, maintaining a child’s “curiosity, independence…, competence and worth” should take precedence over mandatory instruction and dubious socialization efforts (Source B).
John Taylor Gatto, in his article “Against School: How Public Education Cripples Our Kids, and Why.”, asks the pressing question, “Do we really need school?
Is this deadly routine really necessary?” (Source A). Traditional education has been monotonized and homogenized to exploit a child’s moldable mind with the goal of creating an upstanding, economically-sound citizen. This tyrannical, oppressive force called school compartmentalizes students and encourages them to accept a routinized life. Mathematics and English are the dictators of a student’s career. A student is required to complete at least one of these courses every year, regardless if they already meet the requirements to graduate. While these classes are necessary for the first two or three years of high school, should they continue to remain so throughout the rest of a student’s education? The last year or two of high school should be devoted to developing a student’s interests. If a student aspires to become an author, editor, or literature professor, then English, literature, and creative writing would be their focus. However, if a student desires to pursue a career in the arts, they should be allotted the necessary amount of class time to develop their skills. Educational conformity is detrimental to a student who is on the cusp of graduating because it restricts the student career prospects and sense of
purpose.
To support the notion of mass conformity, a child’s socialization is often cited. However, a child taking the same required classes and the same standardized tests on the same routine does not ensure one’s socialization. Schools enforce an environment “in which individual needs are subordinated to group interests” (Source D). However, forcing a child to conform to group standards and interests can be detrimental to the child’s intellectual growth. In addition, the routine of a traditional high school does not allow for much socialization at all. According to the bell schedule, students only have 4 minutes in between classes. The only opportunity for effectual social interaction occurs during lunch and that usually lasts around 20 minutes. Therefore school is a minor contributor to the development of a student’s social skills thus mass conformity is not justified through that reason. The salient concerns of education should be to nurture a child’s individuality and to encourage independent thinking. Although the betterment of a student’s character and education is undoubtedly a necessity, the conformity used to achieve this standard should not inhibit a student’s growth or limit their education.