Let me start by saying that I am not one of those people who
believe that schools are part of an insidious conspiracy to turn our children
into mindless automatons ready to sacrifice life and limb in the service of Big
Brother – I think that job already belongs to television. But even if it turns
out that schools actually are part of some sinister government plot to control
us, I just can’t bring myself to believe that very many teachers are in on the
plan. I’m going to generalize here, but the teachers I know are among the most
sincere, caring and giving people I’ve ever met. I’m convinced that most
teachers really love their students and truly believe in the work they are
doing. And, in the interest of full-disclosure, I happen to be one of them.
But we all know what the path to hell is paved with (and I’m not talking about
subprime mortgages). It is precisely the good intentions and selfless generosity
of so many educators that make it almost impossible to have a critical
discussion about the value of schooling without coming across as attacking
someone’s grandmother or burning an American flag – I mean, them’s fightin’
words!
So take a deep breath and rest assured I’ll leave your grandmother out of this.
The fact is that schooling does indeed have a dark side, one that produces
harmful effects that cripple individuals, weaken communities and undermine
democracy. And all this is done in the name of helping us.
For example, one lesson you’ll never find in the course catalog – let’s call it
Schooling 101 – is actually part of every class you or I have ever taken. This
class teaches the most basic of all school lessons, namely, the need to be
taught. Everything else builds on the mastery of this one essential concept.
Once we have accepted and internalized the belief that learning requires
teaching, we have met the fundamental prerequisite for a lifetime of dependence
and ....
Jim Strickland lives in Everett, Washington with his
wife and three children. He is a community-based educator in nearby Marysville
where he works to promote non-coercive learning and the development of true
learning communities. Jim invites response from readers at
livedemocracy@hotmail.com.
