Public education was created to fill labour needs and create a society of compliance. Former educator John Taylor Gatto discusses this in his book The Underground History of American Education, which can be read online.
Increased government interference has not improved the academic achievement levels of our children. They are in fact falling further and further behind in education. In order to show improvement on achievement tests, the education ministries have actually continued to “dumb down” tests. Many kids end up dropping out due to their learning style or interests rather than actual ability.
Higher Education Demands Limiting Futures of the Poor
At the same time, careers that were previously learned through on the job training and apprenticing become accessible to only those with increasing levels of degrees. This, too, is a way to regulate the labour force and numbers. Unfortunately, it also continues to divide the wage gap without increasing the skills or abilities of the profession.
Teachers As an Example
Teaching jobs were formerly filled by eager students straight out of teachers college. However, prospective teachers now require a degree prior to attending teachers college. The additional skills they have learned may include memorization of a subject they won’t require for their positions. Along with the education levels, the salaries skyrocket for teachers and administration and the cost to educate a single student in a public school is more than a quality private education (at the taxpayers’ expense).
Home Education Versus the Education System
Home education used to be the norm. In fact, it was generally understood that children are natural learners. When children are interested, they explore and experiment and are genuinely curious about the world around them. EarI Stevens states that in schools the teachers use a standard curriculum "...not because it is the best approach for encouraging an individual child to learn the things that need to be known, but because it is a convenient way to handle and track large numbers of children."
Historically, even children who did attend school learned only basic math and reading skills, but life and work skills were learned at home or by a type of apprenticing. Parents and extended families took responsibility for bringing up the children. Children learned in an environment more like the world, where they are not placed in groups of same age people and instructed by one adult.
The education system, as it developed, restructured our entire society to be more institutional and focused on instilling corporate rather than family values.
Public Education as Child Care
We live in a society that has handed over the care of their children to professionals. In response, children are not thriving as they should. According to home education expert and researcher John Holt, many people recognize the benefits of homeschooling but would never consider doing it.
“The number of people who, even if it were easy to do so, would want to take their children out of school and teach them at home, is small. Not many people enjoy the company of their children that much, or would want to give that much attention to their interests and concerns, or take that much of the responsibility for their growth.”
Perhaps the number of parents who say, “I can’t wait for the kids to go back to school,” after summer break is clear evidence of the truth in that statement. These parents may look forward more to getting the kids back out of the house rather than to their children having “wonderful learning experiences.”
References:
Holt, John and Patrick Farenga. Teach Your Own, Da Capo Press, 2003.
Gatto, John Taylor. The Underground History of American Education, The Odysseus Group, johntaylorgatto.com, retrieved 16 Feb 2012.
Block, Melissa. "Study Confirms U.S. Falling Behind in Education." NPR.org, 7 Dec 2010.
Hunt, Jan. The Natural Child Project. naturalchild.org,1996-2012.
See also: School Choice Challenged by Funding
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