Throughout this essay by John Gatto, I was looking to see what it is that he really wanted to say, and by the final few paragraphs it finally became clear. Yes, many of the points he makes about the origins of our school system are true, yet I was certain that his real gripe was something that many people whose careers are inextricably entwined with younger people feel: Why aren’t these youngsters are smart, enterprising, brave, (insert adjective here) as prior generations?! Gatto is not a brave school reformer, he’s just another grandpa claiming that his son isn’t as couragous because he didn’t fight in the great war. By ending his essay by railing against consumerism and comparing modern children to Ben Franklin, he’s giving up the game. Men like Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin were not the norm in the 1700’s. They made up the small elite of American society. In every age, for every Washington and Twain, there are millions of people who are dull, painfully average, and yes, bored. No amount of homeschooling and theology tutoring will change that. In this age of souless education systems, we still produce geniuses and inventors in public schools. The system may be designed for a nefarious and specific purpose, that does not mean it succeeded. Lastly, on his point concerning the virtues of homeschooling: every homeschooled kid I ever knew was the least socially adjusted person in the room. I hope that’s merely unfortunate anecdotal evidence, otherwise Gatto’s dreamworld is a nightmare.
Introduction to Comparative Politics: Nationalism, Ideology, and State Power
Professor Shervin Malekzadeh
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You are correct that Gatto’s anachronistic comparisons with 18th and 19th century individuals’ experiences do not consider that the sociopolitical and economic landscapes that we have now. Gatto’s arguments about why schooling can be at times heavily superfluous is not baseless, but his insistence to look to the past is foolish. If he wants to demonstrate an alternate system for education, maybe he should cite one that actually resulted in a more educated society, rather than one that worked for a few guys 200 years ago.
Ian, I definitely agree with your view of Gatto’s argument and especially like how you connected this to the ‘grandpa mentality’. I think this reaction to criticism of our generation is a prominent feature of current societal discourse, and extends far beyond issues of public education. Some of the other responses have echoed one of your main points, that Gatto proposes a simple solution (or no solution at all?) to a complex problem that carries a lot of responsibility.