“Monopoly schooling is the major cause of our loss of national and individual identity. It has institutionalized the division of social classes and acted as an agent of caste—repugnant to our founding myths and to the reality of our founding period. Its strength arises from many quarters, the antichild, antifamily stream of history for one—but it draws its greatest power from being a natural adjunct to the kind of commercial economy we have that requires permanently dissatisfied consumers.” (John Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Us Down, pp. 100-101)
This quote is the last of my notes from Dumbing Us Down. Nothing like going out with a bang, eh?
I suppose the connection between institutional school and creating permanently dissatisfied consumers has to do with the typical nature of such schooling as requiring consumption rather than production. Teachers dish out the Recommended Daily Allowance of information for the consumption of passive students. Sure there’s the occasional term paper, and I imagine and hope there are some exceptions to this sweeping characterization, yet filling buckets rather than lighting fires (to paraphrase Yeats) seems to be the usual modus operandi of insitutional schooling.
I’d love to hear your comments on this connection.
Mary Jo
lighting my children’s fires at home in Mississippi
but have enjoyed your posts and thoughts about it. I will try to get a copy of this book soon.
You have piqued my interest!
BTW wanted to thank your for your comments on my blog under what to do with all the artwork. I got so many good ideas I think we can tame the paper monster at our house. I do think keeping photos of some things will work well.