“Do we really need school?”(Gatto 143). John Taylor Gatto raises the question that is on every child’s mind. While reading Gatto’s “Against School,” I found that the opinions of Gatto raise many intriguing questions. Is the school system crippling the youth of America? Do children have any sort of imagination left? Are teachers really just as bored as their students? With no imagination allowed and widespread boredom, it seems as if America is being demeaning toward future generations.
With much fervor, Gatto tells his readers how teachers are just as bored as their students. In the photo of the children getting on the bus, we see that the children are clearly bored. However, according to Gatto, boredom is the fault of oneself. If that holds true, than it would make sense to say that the education system is flawed. Teachers are bored because the education system they are trained to teach is Prussian in origin. The function of the Prussian system was to basically make the children robots who have the same intelligence level. If the children are all the same, then it would seem as if they have no imagination.
From birth, children’s imaginations have been running wild. Be it that imaginary friend or the creative scenarios thought up, a child’s imagination can be quite vivid. However, once children go to school, they learn and do homework, which takes up the time in which they could be imagining things. Imagination can help brighten the mind and one’s outlook on life. Therefore, if the education system takes away from imagination, it would seem as if they are belittling the child’s ability to become their own person.
To children, schoolwork is banal and unnecessary, but to those working to keep the systems demeaning motive, schoolwork is essential. I agree with many of Gatto’s thoughts on the school system and in a way, I still see these thoughts present in the school system today. I find the way they make children all the same to be demeaning and harsh. So I present the question, is America being demeaning toward future generations?
