The Degrading Quality of Education in America: Idiot Nation by Michael Moore and Against School by John Taylor Gatto

School is supposed to be a safe environment for a student to a student to learn. It can also serve as a shelter to keep kids off the street and away from negative influences such as crime. Especially in the inner city urban areas where gangs, drugs, and violence may sway kids to do the wrong things. Also in today’s society it is difficult to find jobs. There are many people that graduated from college with degrees who still have not found their ideal job.

In his article “Against School”, John Taylor Gatto criticizes America’s system of schooling children, arguing that the whole system is bad and unfixable. In the majority of the essay Gatto relies on personal anecdotes, historical examples that do not correspond with modern day society, and bold unsubstantiated claims. Due to this, instead of convincing parents to take their children out of school and rethink our societies schooling structure, he just leaves the reader confused over what the problems he’s criticizing truly are.

To furthermore explain his reasoning, he rhetorically questioned his own hypothesis of there being a problem in our system. “What if there is no "problem" with our schools? What if they are the way they are, so expensively flying in the face of common sense and long experience in how children learn things, not because they are doing something wrong but because they are doing something right? Is it possible that George W. Bush accidentally spoke the truth when he said we would "leave no child behind"? Could it be that our schools are designed to make sure not one of them ever really grows up” (Gatto 5). “Do we really need school” is the question he asks the reader. By doing this he made the reader rethink about the compulsory schooling students have to go through to be “successful” in life. Gatto questions why we have to go to school, “six classes a day, five days a week, nine months a year, for twelve

School basically makes your future. Which is why if there are more school days, it can help children understand, and learn new things. This can help make kids who are having a hard

Schools are the places where the children shape their personalities and behavior.A School is also a special place where small kids and even teenagers meet people from all different situations, backgrounds and all walks of life.A school is a place where kids get to determine their future and what they want to do in life.Kids will be thrown into a mix of people they don't know and have to work together.This is good for them because it sets them up for the future when they have to deal with people from the real world.

School, everyone summons different thoughts and connotations whenever they hear that word. Although people range in their opinions of school, many can agree that schools all have the same goal: to educate their students. This is proving to be false; John Taylor Gatto provides evidence of this in his essay, “Against School.” Within this text he explains how schools are not educating students to be the best they can be, instead teachers are teaching them to become role players in today’s society and to be desensitized from their natural creativity. Gatto, a three time New York Teacher of the Year, has had his fair share of teaching. Gatto provides evidence to the audience that they have been wrong all along about the way a school functions. His ideals prove that the schooling systems in today’s society are not what they seem; schools are thought to develop and help a student unlock their full potential but through the evidence that Gatto provides us he shows that the education system does anything but that. He shows us this by appealing to the audience’s logos and pathos or their logical and emotional natures.

In his book “Idiot Nation,” Michael Moore argues that there is too much stupidity in the United States. Explaining that most Americans are more interested in sports and not political issues and congressmen not advocating educational issues. Moore believes that many Republican presidents have tried to destroy libraries and that corporations are sponsoring schools for their own gain. Moore does offer an interesting perspective on the issues he mentioned, but he backs up his assumptions with little to no sources. By backing up claims with a sarcastic tone, Moore’s views on issues seem to be biased.

In the article “Against School” by John Taylor Gatto, the author uses multiple rhetorical strategies in order to persuade the reader to agree that there is a serious problem with the public schooling system. Throughout the article he is able to appeal to the reader through his own personal stories and experiences that he had during his 30 years of teaching in schools throughout New York City. He points out major flaws in the public education, including how the purpose is not to educate; but instead make obedient citizens and to make all students equal. Gatto’s personal experiences and seemingly expert knowledge on the school system sets up the reader to be susceptible to his rhetorical strategies.

In Rereading America an excerpt by Michael Moore entitled “Idiot Nation” focuses on the collapsing educational system in the United States of America. Moore brings to light his view on the failures of the educational system and the lack of financing that has been caused from the top of the food chain. Politicians as well as American corporations contribute to the decline in education according to Moore. He attempts to give the reader a clear picture of where America places the importance of educational funding. He follows-up with detailed examples on what districts and schools resort to in order to gain financial support for their programs. Moore is quick to point out the irony of politics and education in America

In Michael Moore’s “Idiot Nation”, he argues that there is a lack of proper education in the nation, but this high level of “functional illiterates” has nothing to do with awful teachers (although some may be) or lack of motivation from students, but from a dysfunctional education system. Moore claims that the American education system has been neglected by political leaders and corrupted by corporations that schools turn to for aid. This claim may not sit well with many and may even be misinterpreted as rude or an attack, but, after reading his personal anecdotes, the many statistics he brings to light, and how corporations have changed the public school system, his claim is more understandable. With an active tone and the emotion of his own personal anecdotes, Moore’s emotions towards the thesis are emphasized in the passage. Applying the

The efforts people contribute to enhancing academic excellence today are what make education possible. American people have shown a lack of interest when it comes to education and utilizing their ability to learn. Bringing his attention to this in his essay “Idiot Nation,” Michael Moore states that “[American’s] goes out of their

In May of 2005 college graduates, parents, and friends listened to David Foster Wallace recite one of his infamous pieces of writings. This speech is about the value of the graduates’ liberal arts education. The speech is not typical for what would be expected. The expected speech would be motivational, educational, and thought provoking. When delivering this speech Mr. Wallace says several times that motivating or educating is not the purpose of the speech. However, even though this might not have been the explicit purpose of his speech, the speech did nothing but provoke thought.

This unit aims to prepare the learner for working in a school. It covers key aspects of schools as organisations. This includes the structure of the education system, the roles and responsibilities of key members of the school team and the purpose of school ethos, mission statement and aims and values. Learners will also understand the reasons for the key legislation, policies and procedures which are followed in schools and how schools operate within a wider context.

Throughout his excerpt, Moore also uses surprising statistics as an argumentative strategy to efficaciously deliver his message to readers and stimulate us to reflect on the point he brings out. For example, he uses some astonishing statistics to show us how people are wasting their time doing trivial things instead of learning and reading. He states that “[t]here are forty-four million Americans who cannot read and write above a fourth-grade level,” but in the meantime, a considerable number of people know sports and “can answer all thirty obscure trivia questions in less than 120 seconds” (129). Reading these surprising statistics can stimulate readers’ reactions and arouse them; readers will be surprised to find out that they are wasting so much time doing useless things and be impressed by the astounding result that they may reflect on how they use their time. As a result, Moore’s use of surprising statistics can effectively convey his message and stimulate readers to reflect on his point.

The knowledge of schools as a social institution and education as a primary social process: