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Title: Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
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Manufacturer: New Society Publishers
List Price: $11.95
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| Customer Reviews: |
| Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by New Society Publishers Makes you think. |
| I wish I'd read this while I was in school; I'd have seen then that there was something wrong with the system, not me. This book is thought-provoking and a must-read for parents of kids of all ages. |
| Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by New Society Publishers Great Diagnosis; Solutions Not So Great |
Gatto makes a compelling and strong argument for precisely what the problem is with our educational system - in essence, that it is designed to make good consumers who follow the rules and don't challenge authority, and who can be trusted with doing repetitive tasks and quietly occupying their designated socio-economic niche without much complaint. Given that he has over 30 years of experience in the public school system, he almost assuredly knows what he's talking about.
Unfortunately, the last few chapters in the book dip severely in quality, as Gatto presents his "solution" to the problem: complete privatization of the school system. His assumption that it would be better is never fully explored; it's simply stated, with some great comments about how wonderful homeschooling is. But in a completely free market system education, like everything else, becomes a product, and unfortunately it's one that parents can't fully explore before they've already "purchased" it. That is, after all, the entire premise underlying this book - that there is a "hidden curriculum" in public schools (Gatto never mentions that it's also in many private schools, though that's obviously the case) which parents usually aren't aware of until the damage has been done. How, then, are parents going to make an intelligent choice between the options available to them in a fully privatized school setting? Gatto never makes that clear.
Furthermore, if indeed it is corporate and governmental interests which push this hidden curriculum, then how could complete privatization help? They are, after all, the groups with the money, and in the free market those interests would almost assuredly be able to offer a near-complete monopoly on the market. Parents, after all, will only ever have limited choices on how to educate their child - homeschooling, various local private schools (unless they're willing to board their eight year old somewhere), or public schools; all privatization will ensure is that public schooling is no longer even an option and instead parents will be entirely dependent on what the local private schools have to offer or the possibility of homeschooling.
The obvious solution to this educational dilemma would be for the government and private organizations to encourage more parents to pursue homeschooling, or to promote "alternate" educational systems such as Waldorf and Montessori schools which don't have the same problems Gatto notes. Unfortunately, Gatto doesn't bring up those possibilities. For him, "privatization" is presented as a panacea which will miraculously solve the problem.
By all means, read the book. It's a scathing report on the way "traditional" education destroys children's interest in learning and ability to think independently, and well worth the read. Skip the last chapters, though - in them, Gatto depends on his readership having had their own critical thinking ability destroyed. |
| Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by New Society Publishers excellent read |
| this title by john gatto is an excellent read with a thought provoking analysis of the current educational system |
| Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by New Society Publishers Thought Provoking |
I had heard of columnists commenting on this book for so long. I was driven to find out more on this. Most people tend to be concerned about what is wrong with the public school system. Gatto explains what factors are leading to problems in discipline and academic achievement. I was half expecting him to mention the political leanings of the founders of the public school system. But I guess he saw discretion in leaving that detail out.
I will give a hint. The label the school founders used for themselves started with an "S" and ended with a "t".
Suffice to say Gatto presented their ideals and showed how the public school meets the ideals of the school founders. He also detailed how come it is so difficult to reform the public school system. Very interesting. I can see why he is so controversial. |
| Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by New Society Publishers Why life is unsatisfying |
Dumbing us down is really insightful for those who fail to see the source of the problems of the American school system ( except that the system isn't even American, its Prussian ) Even if you do not buy the book, you should read the essay "We need less school, not more" which can be easily found by typing it in google. It is a definite must read.
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| Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by New Society Publishers Product Description |
With over 70,000 copies of the first edition in print, this radical treatise on public education has been a New Society Publishers' bestseller for 10 years! Thirty years in New York City's public schools led John Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory schooling does little but teach young people to follow orders like cogs in an industrial machine. This second edition describes the wide-spread impact of the book and Gatto's "guerrilla teaching." John Gatto has been a teacher for 30 years and is a recipient of the New York State Teacher of the Year award. His other titles include A Different Kind of Teacher (Berkeley Hills Books, 2001) and The Underground History of American Education (Oxford Village Press, 2000). |
