Why Schools Don't Educate

John Taylor Gatto uses very strong adjectives in his speech written as a recipient of a surely well-deserved award.  Gatto presented his information very well from beginning to end and it was based on facts as well as his opinions.  It seemed that he was very passionate about the subject of educating youth and this helped to engage the readers.  The piece was personal due to his dedication as a former teacher and the information presented was observed by him on a daily basis.  He made a great comparison on the contrast of school and television and the influences of each on children.

Society has become self indulged, focused on commercialism that promotes instant gratification.  The pathologies presented were excellent. Children have become detached from their surroundings because of excessive television viewing, which has the power to promote, suggest, and instill behavior that society has accepted as the norm.  Unfortunately, the lack of experience during adolescence with real charity, real adventures or searching for real mentors as he speaks of in the first paragraph is sadly true for most children today.  It will take innovation and dialogue on the part of parents and passionate educators to fill this void if this country wants an outcome of productive, well-rounded adults in the future.  What happened to educational field trips?  This was an effective approach in the past and augmented the education of our children.

The life of busy working parents and the lack resources for educators has a dismal effect on how children are reared and the time dedicated by all to ensuring a solid education and overall childhood experience.  Think of how this must affect our teachers who spend a minimum of four years in college to obtain a job that does not promote wealth or the real power to make decisions around the methods used to have a better impact on the education of youth.

So, why should students commit so much time in school? American adults spend so much of our time to television and the media that the children are only replicating what they see us do. We need to change first. Gatto is right, we are to blame!!