I stumbled across this video trailer after reading John Taylor Gatto's book. Weapons of Mass Instruction
This video trailer was made awhile ago, and as far as I know it the movie hasn't been made. But this idea behind the video is very interesting. Its assumption is that education has proved a big failure in the past century. It's compulsory nature, its institutionalization, bureaucracy, and standardization have diminished our educational outcomes, and created a lobotomized culture of teenagers that seek its escape from this institution by indulging in music, video games, TV, or illegal activities (drugs, alcohol, or violence).
The problem is that school doesn't meet the needs of the individual, and tries to implement a "one size fits all" plan on everyone. This doesn't work for every person, (just like one sized fits all health care plans), and creates resentment. The goal for education used to be to create moral individuals, help individual gain skills for the economy, and help them to be good citizens. The video proclaims that these three goals have not been obtained, and never will be because of the way the system was started.
The institution of public schooling was a Prussian invention of the early 19th century. It was imported into academic circles in the late 19th century because of the growing power, and success of Germany and how America needed to emulate what the Germans were doing or risk losing to them economically and then militarily. The idea behind Prussian schools was to create an obedient, docile citizenry, that would follow orders and fit nicely into the industrial/militaristic economy. Each person was to produce for the state, and so therefore individualism was reduced and collectivism was increased. (much like Ancient Sparta). The emphasis wasn't on "liberal education" but on "memorization".
There are many other reasons for the beginning of public education that aren't linked to the three original goals as stated above.
1. Labor Unions pushed hard for compulsory schools in the 19th century because that would ensure
higher wages for the work that they did.
2. Protestants also pushed hard for compulsory schools in the 19th century because that way the
Southern and Eastern Immigrants (which were mainly Catholic), would be indoctrinated with
Protestantism. (this is how the private Catholic school movement started.
3. Evangelical Protestants also pushed hard for compulsory schools in the 19th century since they
thought schools would be a good place to help kids from doing victimless behavior, like drinking,
smoking, dancing, using drugs, cussing, and gambling.
The solution is to decentralize education. Remove the state from the equation. This will open up diversity of educational programs, more efficient use of resources (those that don't want to go won't have to), and greater responsibility for students, teachers, and parents. More on this later.
I'm fascinated to see a "Nebraska Social Studies Teacher" promoting Gatto. My impression from outside the system is that teachers are afraid to criticize it because that seems too anarchistic. Are there many teachers sympathetic to Gatto's ideas? Are you able to implement them in your current position?
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