The part of John's statement that I agreed with was the notion that public schools do indeed engage children in a lot of mindless monkey-tricks.
Well, yes, of course, but the thing is that this what schools are *for*.
Public schools are an instrument of social indoctrination, rather than factual education. This is not so much by deliberate design as by virtue of the fact that social/behavioural mores and not not skills or knowledge are what this culture values.
Think about it. What do kids really learn in primary school, for example?
The major lessons are:
1. Sit still. 2. Wait in line. 3. Raise your hand and wait for permission before speaking. 4. Share. 5. Wait your turn. 6. Be polite. and so on and so on and so on.
All of these, of course, are in direct contradiction to the basic nature of a child. The primary task that schools undertake, whether they admit it or not, is turn children into small versions of a rather passive and conformist adult, someone who is easy for adults to deal with. Someone obedient. Someone without a lot of bothersome initiative.
Now, of course, this is precisely the opposite of what people need in order to succeed in life, but that isn't the schools' problem.
As such, it doesn't really make sense to say that schools should teach value-neutral stuff, because teaching non-value-neutral stuff is, in fact, their real mission.
Now, this is not to say that schools must or should indoctrinate (I hope you have read "Summerhill". If you haven't, I will bitch at you until you do.), but since that is really their primary effective mission, one cannot so easily separate facts from cultural values in the system as it exists.
Any fact taught (or not taught) is heard in the same context as the cultural indoctrination that is going on at the same time. So one can't simply step out of that context to teach this or that one thing "non-judgementally". That's not the way it's going to be heard.
Now, this is not to say that schools must or should indoctrinate (I hope you have read "Summerhill". If you haven't, I will bitch at you until you do.), but since that is really their primary effective mission, one cannot so easily separate facts from cultural values in the system as it exists.
Well, I haven't read Summerhill. Cue the bitching. :)
I never thought of the notion that school's primary mission is indoctrination. One of my brain quirks is that I'm not as cynical as the average person, so I tend to not suspect duplicity even when perhaps I should.
Well, I haven't read Summerhill. Cue the bitching. :)
Well, read it. Read it read it read it read it.
(This message will repeat at regular intervals)
I never thought of the notion that school's primary mission is indoctrination. One of my brain quirks is that I'm not as cynical as the average person, so I tend to not suspect duplicity even when perhaps I should.
I'm not suggesting concious duplicity here, simply that people tend to emphasize and enforce what is important to them, and that what is important to them tends to differ from what they say or even think is important to them.
Well, yes, of course, but the thing is that this what schools are *for*.
Public schools are an instrument of social indoctrination, rather than factual education. This is not so much by deliberate design as by virtue of the fact that social/behavioural mores and not not skills or knowledge are what this culture values.
Think about it. What do kids really learn in primary school, for example?
The major lessons are:
1. Sit still.
2. Wait in line.
3. Raise your hand and wait for permission before speaking.
4. Share.
5. Wait your turn.
6. Be polite.
and so on and so on and so on.
All of these, of course, are in direct contradiction to the basic nature of a child. The primary task that schools undertake, whether they admit it or not, is turn children into small versions of a rather passive and conformist adult, someone who is easy for adults to deal with. Someone obedient. Someone without a lot of bothersome initiative.
Now, of course, this is precisely the opposite of what people need in order to succeed in life, but that isn't the schools' problem.
As such, it doesn't really make sense to say that schools should teach value-neutral stuff, because teaching non-value-neutral stuff is, in fact, their real mission.
Now, this is not to say that schools must or should indoctrinate (I hope you have read "Summerhill". If you haven't, I will bitch at you until you do.), but since that is really their primary effective mission, one cannot so easily separate facts from cultural values in the system as it exists.
Any fact taught (or not taught) is heard in the same context as the cultural indoctrination that is going on at the same time. So one can't simply step out of that context to teach this or that one thing "non-judgementally". That's not the way it's going to be heard.
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Well, I haven't read Summerhill. Cue the bitching. :)
I never thought of the notion that school's primary mission is indoctrination. One of my brain quirks is that I'm not as cynical as the average person, so I tend to not suspect duplicity even when perhaps I should.
Reply
Well, read it. Read it read it read it read it.
(This message will repeat at regular intervals)
I never thought of the notion that school's primary mission is indoctrination. One of my brain quirks is that I'm not as cynical as the average person, so I tend to not suspect duplicity even when perhaps I should.
I'm not suggesting concious duplicity here, simply that people tend to emphasize and enforce what is important to them, and that what is important to them tends to differ from what they say or even think is important to them.
Reply
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