Against Education

The Redundancy of Children’s Brains

The essay Against School assumes that universal schooling has resulted in the redundancy of children’s brains in America and around the world. Essentially, it determines that the individual’s development is hampered by the schooling schedule. The author also claims that there is a distinction between the American educational structure and the philosophy of education. Despite its flaws, the public school system has more benefits than drawbacks. Overall, it has had a growingly optimistic impact on the lives of Americans.

The Purpose of Mass Schooling

To continue, the author claims that mass schooling was devised by the wealthy to dominate the masses. He establishes that “modern, industrialized, compulsory schooling was to make a sort of surgical incision into the prospective unity of the underclasses” (Gatto 3). However, this assertion comprises a falsehood since the present educational system is directly responsible for the economic, political, and social leaps and progress that are being witnessed in present-day America. According to Baum and Payea (10), education plays a big role in enhancing one’s income. Essentially, as one moves through the school hierarchy, from the elementary level to Higher education level, their income earnings improve with the completion of each stage. Consequently, a university graduate earns more than a high school graduate. Similarly, DeYoung and Theobald (10) dictate that education has allowed the masses increased social and cultural freedom. This manifestation is a consequence of the educational reforms that have taken place in America since the revolution (De Young and Theobald 13). These evidences attest to the empowerment of the common man in the society. In proclaiming its stance, the article overlooks the significant leaps that America has made since the establishment of the school system. For instance, the quality of education in America can be said to be responsible for increased industrialization and technological progress.

The Impact of Consumerism

Alternatively, the author predicates that the current public education system is responsible for the consumerist tendencies that are being witnessed today in the American markets. On the issue, he determines that “school encouraged them (kids) not to think at all. And that left them left them sitting ducks for another great invention of the modern era – marketing” (Gatto 4). The author establishes that mass consumerism is a project overseen by the public education system to ensure that mass production is maintained in the country. However, consumerism is not necessarily a bad factor in America as it has been employed to further the economic progress of the American people. Consumerism is a source of innovation and product development. Essentially, an increase in consumption leads to an equal increase in the number of industries and company. Essentially, the consumer’s continued demand shortens the product-life cycle and thus necessitating the need for the constant determination of new and better products (Slavova 7). Similarly, Slavova (11) indicates that consumerism has led to the creation of legislative amendments that play a preventive role. Therefore, consumerism, as a result of the public education system, has had a positive impact on the sustenance of the American economy. It has led to an increase in the legislative knowledge with regards to consumer-producer engagements.

The Functions of the Public Education System

Additionally, the author determines that the public education system was intended to promote six basic functions. He notes that these functions include; the adaptive function, the integrating function, the diagnostic function, the differentiating function, the selective function, and the propaedeutic function (Gatto 4). However, these notions negate the fundamentals of the modern education system. Compared to the era before the revolution, the aftermath of the revolution saw an increase in the number of individuals who questioned their circumstances and sought to change their lives by constant curiosity. In fact, one of the fundamental components of the American dream was the encouragement and facilitation of individual thinking among the American citizens. The American identity was predicated upon enduring inquiry. This was a consequence of the enlightenment that was brought forth by the American education system. Similarly, the public education has played an immense role in promoting diversity in America (De Young and Theobald 8). This reality negates the assertions of the selective function. Whereas in the past, schools were limited to the elite in the society, recent times have seen an increase in the number of individuals from disadvantaged settings get access to education. This has enabled individuals from minority communities to enhance their economic and social occupations in the larger American society. The year 2009 saw the election of the first Black president, Barack Obama. This initiative was only achievable through years of reinforcement of equality and fairness in the educational curriculums. The integration of the people of America is a result of the indispensable role of the educational system in the US.

The Limits of Creativity

Nonetheless, the public education system indeed constitutes an impediment to the potential of kids given that it limits their creativity. On this concern, Gatto (3) determines that the differentiating function diagnoses students to be “trained only so far as their destination in the social machine merits – and not one step further” (Gatto 3). Indeed, given the lack of flexibility in the curriculum dissemination process, students are not allowed the opportunity to explore the limits of their capabilities. This implication ensures that a student is fitted into a given level within the society. Consequently, the metrics determined by the school systems are used as tags to favor some students while negating the others. The article The Limits of Creativity in Education: Dilemma for the Educator establishes that the rigidity of the learning process curtails the imagination and initiative of the student in a classroom (Craft 118). The need to foster creativity is often overlooked in the learning initiatives. Some of the limitations to creativity in the learning process emanate from the “difficulties of terminology, conflicts between policy and practice, limitations in curriculum organization, and limitations stemming from a centrally controlled pedagogy” (Craft 124). However, it is important to note that, since its creation, the educational system has undergone a series of reforms to ensure that the creativity of the American student is promoted. Presently, there are technical schools which are specifically designed for students who wish to pursue technical careers. Through programs, such as institutional seminars, the students are informed of the importance of creativity through life.

The Advantages of the Educational System

Conclusively, in establishing his premises, the author deliberately overlooks the many advantages that the educational system has brought to the American people. The present educational system imparts in the kids the skills they will need to sustain themselves through life. It is further a platform through which diversity is reinforced. The convergence of kids from different social and economic settings into one institution enhances their appreciation of each other.

Works Cited

Baum, Sandy and Kathleen Payea. “The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society.” Education Pays (2005): 7-43.

Craft, Anna. “The Limits to Creativity in Education: Dilemmas for the Educator.” Journal of Educational Studies 51.2 (2003): 113-127.

DeYoung, Alan and Paul Theobald. “Community Schools in The National Context: The Social and Cultural Impact of Educational Reform Movements on American Rural Schools.” Journal of Research in Rural Education 7.3 (1991): 3-14.

Gatto, John. “Against School .” Harper’s Magazine (2003 ): 1-5.

Slavova, Milanka. “Consumerism as a Source for Innovation and Product Development.” Economic Alternatives 2 (2014): 5-19.