My having had little exposure to American public schools made it difficult to fully connect with John Taylor Gatto’s argument that “mandatory schooling’s purpose is to turn kids into servants (38).” However, quite naturally, I compared his views on the American institution of public education with the public education one receives in Norway. In turn, I found that I agreed with Gatto’s statement in respect to conformity and how “schools are to establish fixed habits of reactions to authority (36)”. This mindset isn’t exclusive to America—public schools in Norway seek to homogenize performance. In recent years, public education in Norway has been cutting programs and activities for gifted and creative students, forcing these students to pursue such interests outside of school on their own accord. Essentially, public schools in Norway have made a conscious effort to level the playing field for all students, attempting to standardize students and limit students that crave more. The result of “mediocre intellects (36)” isn’t as historically (or culturally) engrained as Gatto believes, but instead is a natural response to a lack of resources and funding. I, therefore, disagree with Gatto’s attempt to solve the crux of the issue by simply allowing a select few to avoid the “tricks and traps (38)” of the system. The system is supposed to identify the needs of the masses whilst providing an environment for every individual to thrive—how is it to progress if only a select few have the resources to advance?
-Christian Horn
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Hi Christian,
You state you disagree with Gatto’s “tricks and traps” (pg. 38) premise because you think they apply to a select few. However, the suggestions Gatto mentions are pretty straightforward: he advises parents to teach their children to think critically and independently, to enjoy solitude, and to be leaders and adventurers. Are you suggesting these are things not everyone can do? And if not, what makes it more possible for some people than others?
Your connection to Norway brings me to the idea of universal education. I find it interesting that the conformity Gatto observes in the U.S. system is one you also notice in Norway. When we think about cross-national education, what are we really testing then? That is to say, when we talk about the countries with the best education available, are we attempting to measure the number of individuals who come out of the system with the same experiences ingrained in their minds (a homogenization of “performance,” as you put it)? Or is there something beyond that that certain countries, like Norway and the U.S., are inherently missing from their educational frameworks?