The Short Article By John Holt

The schooling system often teaches a rather mechanical approach to learning as we are placed in a situation where learning is forced and a requirement to get through society’s means of, 'a future for ourselves ' and to be part of a respected status quo. Surely the idea of graduating from an institution of knowledge does have many benefits

In his article “Against School”, John Taylor Gatto submits his conspiratorial beliefs apropos the suggested chicanery and skulduggery present in American school systems to a wide range of audience members, ranging from concerned parents to the worldwide educational community. Throughout his article, Gatto calls into question several aspects of the modern education present in the United States, his scathing and unnervingly well reasoned timbre astonishing readers into reassessing their own experience in the education system. These appalling points, which one may at first believe only exist to steal the attention of any reader, are a key strategy in Gatto’s article which allow readers to set aside prior notions of skepticism towards educational

Schooling is widely available throughout America with nearly everyone attending school up to at least high school, and most attending college. It has become possible for children of all ethnic backgrounds, all social and economic classes to attend schooling. However, schooling and receiving an education are two different concepts. Just because students endure years of schooling does not mean they are receiving the best possible education. All of this schooling is ideally supposed to prepare the child for adulthood, but is it actually doing this? In the article “Against School” by John Taylor Gatto, Gatto examines the schools and their system of education in order to inform people about the failure of the current education system. He introduces the idea that today's schooling system delivers an incomplete education, instead turns creative children into mindless machines, in order to spread awareness and hopefully produce change throughout schools.

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.

The meaning of the word education is defined as an enlightening experience in which one receives or gives some form of systematic instruction. This definition is further facilitated through John Taylor Gatto’s utilization of the literary techniques pathos and logos within his own article Against School. While this specific work strives to describe what an ideal education would include, it also presents a more encapsulated view of how flawed some contemporary schools have become to this very day: using fifth column determination and other techniques to suppress student creative ability and efface motivation within students.

First, Gatto who taught in the school system for thirty years uses his personal experience, and the rhetorical strategy ethos to show that he believes that being in the public-school system for twelve years is not good or helping the children in their lives outside of school. Gatto says “I’ve come slowly to understand what it is I really teach: A curriculum of confusion, class position, arbitrary justice, vulgarity, rudeness, disrespect for privacy, indifference to quality, and utter dependency” (607). In this quote Gatto is saying that when children are in the school system they are not learning things they will need in life. They are getting used to repeating the same process over and over again. They are also learning to be dependent on an instructor to tell them when where and how to do things and not relying on themselves for anything. Kids in the system become dependent on being around others and a lot of time do not know how to handle themselves. The author states, “well-schooled people are conditioned to dread being alone, and they seek constant companionship through the TV, the computer, the cell phone, and through shallow friendships quickly acquired and quickly abandoned” (615). In this quote Gatto is saying that people in the system get accustomed to being around a group of people and they cannot stand to be by themselves. The author is also saying that when the kids in the system are not around a group of people they fill the gap by watching television, being on a computer, and/or on a cell phone.

The essay ‘Against the school’ by John Taylor Gatto draws our attention on to all the cons of attending twelve years of high-school. Gatto has experience in teaching profession for twenty-six years in schools of Manhattan, he shares from his experience that he majored in boredom and could see that everywhere around him. He also points out the initial reason why schools came into existence and what the purpose it fulfils now. He also educates us on the fact that all the great discoverers never attended school and were self-educated.The main idea Gatto addresses in his article are that public schooling is doing the youth an injustice.He implies that the purpose of schooling, now is to turn children into good employes and someone who follows orders.

This schooling occurs close to three quarters of the course of the year, for twelve years and maybe even more. He calls this routine “deadly,” and the schools in which this is occurring are “forced confinement” and “virtual factories of childishness.” Children are told when they are going to do something, they receive a schedule made for them and must go to them at the assigned time, usually at the sound of the bell. The schools themselves “all too often resemble prisons.” This abrupt truth makes people realize that getting an education would be difficult to do, considering the teachers closely resemble the boring and controlled environment, the students must learn in. These factories where children are “shaped and fashioned” into a product of society’s “specifications.” This negative tone and views really allows the reader to see that school environments are not beneficial to everyone and can be quite negative.

In “Against School” by John Taylor Gatto states that, “Boredom is a common condition for teachers and students.” The text questions if we really need forced schooling as a necessary part of our society. The text reads that schools are confining, restricted and do not promote a real education. A problem I have observed in the public schools, is the fact that all children do not learn in the same manner or at the same pace. There is no cookie cutter mold concerning education that all individuals can incorporate into. Standardized tests and curriculum in a one size fits all method is not an effective way for children to learn.

I will be focusing on my point of view for Holt’s argument. I don’t support some of the author’s point of view. He states in his writing that children are not allowed to be themselves anymore they do what they are told to do not what they want to do. School is a very important part of the child’s life they should attend to school. In some primary schools the children are the ones that create their day there in way the teacher only provides them with a schedule. He states that children are like prisoners that they have no option to say also teachers can tell the children what they want them to in their class. In my point of view children should attend school for their own good so they can get an idea of what might happen when they enter an elementary school.

When children dread going to school, do you ever question why the child has already lost their eagerness for learning? In Chicago, Illinois, and numerous other places in the US, you can come across kids walking with their heads down and hands behind their backs in a single file line as if they are inmates. You’ll also discover that the cafeteria is dead silent to avoid the “overwhelming noise” of children enjoying their food and friends. With all of this being said, these schools sound more like boot camps than a place of learning. In the article, “Why some schools feel like prisons?” the writer, Samina Hadi-Tabassum, begins with a brilliant introduction, provides outstanding personal stories, and detailed examples to support their claim. The

“The child soon learns not to ask questions - the teacher is not there to satisfy his curiosity” (Holt 73). This is what John Holt thinks the American education system is all about. He thinks that school is a place where individuality and creativity come to die. He wrote an essay that explains his belief further that is titled, “School is bad for Children.” Holt uses several rhetorical devices and logical fallacies such as generalizations - stereotypes, making assumptions, and “either or fallacy” that weakens his argument.

When it comes to school we all expect to learn new subjects and expect that our teachers are preparing themselves as well to become better in their knowledge. I agree with John when he say’s “Do we really need school? I don’t mean education, just forced schooling: six classes a day, five days a week “ , I think that all his readers who have read this agree with him because it’s a question that every student ask themselves “do we really need school”. I’m one of those students who ask that question too but we all know that the answer is that we go to school to build our career and to have a better future .He supports his argument by saying that there are a number of successful Americans who did not go to school and are still productive. Most

John Holt provided various points on how people should have the right to control and direct their own learning. First, he states that people should have their own freedom in learning. Secondly, he describes the corruption of school systems by being oppressive and undemocratic. Finally, he mentions that people should choose what they learn rather than taking a bunch of unnecessary classes. As mentioned, I believe that there should be some school-based education influence but I think that people should have more freedom with their education. Are school really

Getting an education from a school for some reason is considered the ‘key’ to success. The key to our life goals and dream jobs, but why? We are letting a letter grade determine if we are smart or unintelligent regardless of any other acquired talent. Ralph Emerson states in “The Education” text, “the power of performance is worth more than knowledge.” This quote is extremely powerful because it can relate to a child. From day one, children are taught what to think and what they ‘need’ to learn. They are being brainwashed by these schools that should be called factories. Schools kill any sense of creativity and reasoning because kids and teenagers are so overpowered with a fear of failing and letting a letter grade decide what kind of student they are. Failing throws a label on our forehead and lowers self confidence all because test scores are so highly looked upon and all that people care about. Sooner or later, we are going to all be considered robots if we continue sitting on the conveyor belt in a factory. This path is leading us in an opposite way of