Free schools

After reading “ Free schools” by Dewitt Clinton and “ Against School” by John Taylor Gatto both have two completely opposite ideas about school and make very valid points. Dewitt Clinton believes that everyone should be educated and schooling should be free so people of all wealth could be educated where as John Gatto believes that not all people need school and in fact by making it mandatory it becomes boring. Gatto argues that school days are too long and seem to be never ending for twelve years, but this isn’t including college. Clinton on the other hand states to improve the ignorance in government education is needed. He says ignorance is the cause of bad governments. Although this is a valid point John Taylor Gatto brings up famous historical industrial leaders and says “ They were not products of the school system, ” which proves his point that school should not really be mandatory for everyone. Even though Clinton has a good idea and means well to help society one will feel that Gatto’s arguments is more valid in any society Dewitt Clinton feels education will help develop a less ignorant government in response to the quote “ Man differs more by man, than man from beast”, “ this remark, however generally false, will certainly apply with great force to a man in a state of high mental cultivation, and man in a state of extreme ignorance”. Clinton advises us that there are different types of funds, some larger then others, that help the people pay significantly for an education in the school system. He refers to crime and ignorance as evil and gets this word from the people less fortunate and uneducated for one reason or another to help argue his point, that education should be a main priority an everyone should be educated. John Taylor Gatto the real reason for public education is to waste time and to teach people how to be bored. Gatto says that in schools when he was teaching he would always ask the students why they were bored and always get the round about of the same response. The students would tell him that the teachers made it boring and that they barely knew anything about the subject they were teacher nor were they interested in it so they never tried to explore any more than what they already knew. After stating this argument he then lists some famous people in history, like Carnegie, Rockefeller, Twain, and Edison; all known for a variation of different things that were never a product of the school system. One would have to believe that what he is saying is true being that from most peoples job experiences and positions is it not what you know it is who you know. What usually helps people first get the job yes is education but after that they are on their own unless they know someone to help boost them up the pole of higher positions. From past experiences one would have to agree that some of the teachers really aren’t passionate about the subjects they teach nor about the children learning and trying to better themselves. Most of the time when you walk in a classroom they are this dull boring color and then you look around and see the kids in the classroom and they are either sleeping or dazed out into space. If classrooms themselves were brighter and warm and friendly and teachers didn’t teach the same thing over and over again with one tone of voice and actually tried to make it interesting maybe children wanting to learn more would inspire them to learn more about their own subjects. But, this contradicts the boring argument but kids become bored when they have reached the level of learning with no where else to go. It’s like reaching the top of a cliff with no where else to go, that gets boring after a while but no one tries to educate themselves and learn more they just stay in the same place bored. The experience of Esmeralda Santiago supports Gatto’s belief that people that strive to better themselves and learn more will, and those that do not want to learn will not. Esmeralda fought to earn her spot in the eighth grade where she belonged instead of a secondary seventh grade . Since her age was appropriate for the eight grade that is where she wanted to belong. She was given six months in the eighth grade the learn English and to earn her definite spot there. For someone that had never spoken proper English in their life six months seemed impossible. She strived for her spot and worked hard to stay in the eighth grade. By her fourth month she was able to read and write English much better then she could communicate thorough speaking. Stunning everyone by coming out at the top of all her classes. This story goes back to Gatto’s belief that people who want to learn and come out on top will and those who don’t will not succeed in whatever obstacles are put in front of them.