An Enclosure Movement For Children (public schools)

The Oddyseus Group ^ | John Taylor Gatto

[Clintonfatigued]

The secret of American schooling is that it doesn’t teach the way children learn, and it isn’t supposed to; school was engineered to serve a concealed command economy and a deliberately re-stratified social order. It wasn’t made for the benefit of kids and families as those individuals and institutions would define their own needs. School is the first impression children get of organized society; like most first impressions, it is the lasting one. Life according to school is dull and stupid, only consumption promises relief: Coke, Big Macs, fashion jeans, that’s where real meaning is found, that is the classroom’s lesson, however indirectly delivered.

The decisive dynamics which make forced schooling poisonous to healthy human development aren’t hard to spot. Work in classrooms isn’t significant work; it fails to satisfy real needs pressing on the individual; it doesn’t answer real questions experience raises in the young mind; it doesn’t contribute to solving any problem encountered in actual life. The net effect of making all schoolwork external to individual longings, experiences, questions, and problems is to render the victim listless. This phenomenon has been well-understood at least since the time of the British enclosure movement which forced small farmers off their land into factory work. Growth and mastery come only to those who vigorously self-direct. Initiating, creating, doing, reflecting, freely associating, enjoying privacy—these are precisely what the structures of schooling are set up to prevent, on one pretext or another.

[jwh_Denver]

Great eye opening read. In any of his books does he say how the best way to "educate" kids is?

[GSlob]

"Great. They're probably the ones spouting all the Leftist ideas"
You could not be more wrong. Those I heard of are working in hard sciences. Workers' [or Aryan, or any other PC flavor du jour] physics or statistics is long out of fashion.

[RKBA Democrat]

The scenario that you've described simply doesn't exist for the vast majority of Americans. It's in the realm of vouchers; not too bad of an idea in the theoretical sense, but not likely to be seen in reality.

You work with the tools you actually have. For the vast bulk of Americans means home education, private schools, or settling for the government schools.

[Republicanprofessor]

Education ping.

Let McVey, JamesP81, or me know if you want on or off this education ping list.

[fml]

Have you been around public schoolers lately??

Yes, and they are great kids.

[wintertime]

The root of the trouble is that like a platoon marching at the speed of its slowest soldier,

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I dated a man who was a graduate of the Stuyvesant school in N.Y. It was a dreadful experience for him.

He was disgusted to death with the eternal competition and intensive speed with which new work was introduced. Along with this was the adulation he received from his parents, relatives, family friends, and neighbors that added to the pressure of expectations. Hey! He had a high IQ, and society demanded "production" from this IQ.

The amount on time required for school work consumed his life, and left no time for personal creativity. He was kid on a 4 year treadmill, and felt like a gerbil on an forced exercise wheel.

So...what happened when he finally was accepted to Case Western? Answer: He chose the easiest possible major. Philosophy. He then spent as much time in the computer labs working on and finishing other students computer projects. ( This was the early 70s when large stacks of cards were the norm.)

In his adult life he made a very successful career in computer programing, and ,,,,guess what? ,,,,he was nearly entirely self-taught in this field. ( So much for all that formal education!)

I did not marry this guy, because he bragged about how he deliberately set out to do as little as possible in college. I didn't want any future children of mind taught this.

So...what did my actual children do?

They were homeschooled. They entered college, by their own choice, at the ages of 13, 12, and 13. They took courses by their own volition. All finished their college generals and Calculus III by the age of 15.

The two younger were graduates of university with B.S. degrees in math at the age of 18. One of these recently finished a masters in math at the age of 20.

The oldest of the 3 is a highly accomplished athlete, and plans to make a career in coaching. He is studying business and accounting. Along with all of his training, worldwide travel, and a 2 year church mission in the Baltics ( returning home fluent in Russian), he will graduate from college at the age of his contemporaries.

All children play an instrument, are accomplished ballroom dancers, sing in their church and school choirs, have many good and wholesome friends, and are volunteers for their church.

This is the difference between hot-house raising of high IQ children, such as my old dating companion, and the more natural environment of the home that my children enjoyed.

In my opinion, homeschooling is the most natural and healthy environment to raise children to a educationally and emotionally secure adulthood. Yes, some children will need institutionalization. This is a shame. We need orphanages too, but no one is suggesting that it is the best way to raise a child.

[wintertime]

Yes, and they are great kids.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I work in a busy health clinic, and I can instantly tell who it the institutionalized child, and who is the homeschooler.

Those children who are institutionalized for their education, dress in sexually provocative ways. The most telling difference is the 20 degree off-centered stare when spoken to by an adult. It is the monosyllabic grunts and mumbles to questions directed to them by those who are there to serve their health needs. Should I mention the tattoos, the dog collars, the butt cracks and pubic hairs peeping from their low slung jeans, the peircings, and unnatural hair colors? They have the dull eyes seen in gorillas in our local zoo.

The homeschoolers in contrast, speak openly with all who are around them, young and old. Their faces are bright and open. They speak in full sentences. They are curious about what we are doing, and ask cogent questions about the procedures. Their skin is free of tattoos and piercings. They have normal and beautiful hair, and their dress is modest but fashionable.

What a difference!

[JamesP81]

One of my best friends is a public school teacher. I'd get him to read this if I didn't think it would end the friendship.

[wintertime]

Privatizing education would put it all back into the hands of the parents. Then, if private companies wanted to recruit promising young students to work for them,

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

At 15, my son moved from the community college to a local college. In the first semester, the college held a job fair. A local bank offered my son ( then 15) a **serious** job offer for a management position. He refused, and jokingly told the recruiter, "My mom would have to drive me!"

At 15, he could have DONE that job, and performed well!

In the past youth of that age did take on responsibilities of great magnitude. I am reminded of the young teen officer in the movie staring Robert Crowe, "Master and Commander". The fictional young man in that movie was essentially being "homeschooled" by the captain, the captain's friend, and the other members of the crew.

[GSlob]

"The scenario that you've described simply doesn't exist for the vast majority of Americans."
Jedem das Seine. Not everyone needs it, and not everyone would be able to benefit from it, either. A somewhat similar scenario existed in American public schools about 100 years ago - witness all periodically re-published exam requirements for the high school entrance of that time. And the entrance exams imply the same selectivity - not everyone was admitted.

[beaversmom]

Your description had me laughing because it's very true. I saw a group of girls walking with an adult female--probably their mom--on the trail the other day. The girls all wore plaid shirts, long denim skirts, and bobby socks. They all had their hair neatly french braided. They looked like something out of the 1950's. It was so refreshing to see a group of young girls that didn't look like little tarts. This was during school hours so I figured this group was a homeschooled bunch.

[linda_22003]

And yet, just a little more education from one source or another might have resulted in a correct spelling of "Odysseus" in the headline source. :)

[linda_22003]

The article refers to kids "confined to environments of emotional neediness with nothing real to do." If that doesn't prepare them for life in the workforce, what will? :)

[Tired of Taxes]

You could not be more wrong. Those I heard of are working in hard sciences. Workers' [or Aryan, or any other PC flavor du jour] physics or statistics is long out of fashion.

Ok, I'll bite. What on earth is "workers' physics" or "Aryan physics"...?

I've met many intelligent Europeans who were very well-educated. And they were all Leftists (socialists), believing big government programs were the answer.

[Tired of Taxes]

Wintertime,

You are so right. This morning, I was just thinking about this very topic: Our society has extended childhood into adulthood by virtue of extended school. As a result, everything in life has been pushed to a later age. Generally, we finish our education when we graduate college at age 22 or 23, and then we are just starting in our careers. So, we aren't financially stable until later, and we're marrying and starting families later. All because people go through school moving through each grade according only to specifically-designated age levels, thus they're held back.

[JamesP81]

I tend to self-educate myself quite a bit. I've learned a hundred times, literally, as much after leaving school as I did when I was in school.

They constantly say European schools are better than American schools. Ultimately, they're probably right. However, what they don't understand any more is this: good character, good judgment, and freedom are far superior to any amount of education.

[JamesP81]

In the past youth of that age did take on responsibilities of great magnitude. I am reminded of the young teen officer in the movie staring Robert Crowe, "Master and Commander". The fictional young man in that movie was essentially being "homeschooled" by the captain, the captain's friend, and the other members of the crew.

And lo and behold, he was an effective officer. David Farragut's story is actually similar in many ways. He went to sea as a young boy without a formal education and became the first Admiral in the US Navy, IIRC.

[linda_22003]

22 or 23? That's a little on the late side for graduating from college. I was 20, just a little on the early side.

[fml]

Right.

Only the bad parents send their kids to public schools. We all have tarts and abusers as kids, we don't know how to raise polite, conservative, smart, funny or nice kids.

The only good kids are raised by the wonderful bunch of selfless parents who don't trust themselves to be a better role model or a greater infuence to their children than some teachers (not to even consider the fact that there a a great deal of good teachers) for a few hours a day.

[JamesP81]

I wonder how much support I'd get if I started a school that operated in the Socratic classical way. It would never be compulsory; attendance voluntary. And the real learning would occur by students who were willing to learn and taught themselves. With modern technology that Socrates didn't have access to (the Internet and air travel, for example) I think you could provide an environment that promoted civility, civic duty, self-reliance, good character, and excellent judgment. I wonder how much resources the NEA would expend trying to stop me?