Public Education

[SittingBull47]

Does anybody else agree that the most important weapon in fighting oppression is knowledge? Currently, many families pay a lot for their child's education in American Public Schools, and what do we (the students) get? We get useless information, history books that only tell one imperialistic side of the story, english literature books that are not allowed to concern social issues, etc. I recently realized how much money people will pay for lies.
There are few options available to students interested in social reform and all the things that make me want to learn. I think the only reason public schools exist is to prepare the students for a future of conservative diligence and unquestioned loyalty to a faulty system.

[CommunistRob]

Education=Liberation

[dying2live769]

Education=Liberation
Bush's liberation=Indoctrination and Subjugation of all foreign oil providing nations. What now Robbie? lol

[Individual]

Where you are trying to get at has valor.

Public Education is meant to give the Children of America a direction in life. Give a general public knowledge to put our countries youth and their future to the test.

Public Education may be very bias, you may not grow up liking what your teachers have to say. Most likely you grow up arguing and sliding through school as did I.

The point of public education is to give you a start in life. Open doors, provide a beginning in knowledge.

Whether or not it may be bias, the US has the power to control what their youth grows up learning. You must get past the overall way of public education, and feel free to take it up at a local level. Attend school council meetings in your city, or community. Talk to teachers or counselers about your concerns.

Public Education is a start. It is your responsiblity to further your education. Do not think that college is the only answer. You may become an apprentice in certain areas of knowledge. Read lots of books, and research as much as you can on subjects of interest.

Remember that the overall way of Public Education will not be able to completely change. The best you can help is at a local level. I'd reccommend reaserching things in order to argue with your teachers. This will show your teachers you have the knowledge, while also having your own opinions on what you are learning.

Public Education will come to an end. You will survive, just try and make it as fun as you personally can. Have some fun with it is what I mean.

[che's long lost daughter]

If there is anything I would at least be grateful to America for, it would be the Public School system. Before they came here, schools were mostly ran by religious orders and only the elite could afford an education. If it weren't for public schools, many of my people wouldn't be able to get an education. I spent my high school education at a private catholic school and the college that I am about to graduate from is also a private one. I had spent elementary school from a public school though. Well, I used to also go to a private elementary school but because of my motion sickness, I got to be transferred to a public school which is nearer my home. But I think if I hadn't had my primary education in a public school, I wouldn't be able to see how life really is. Life would be boring for me and creativity wouldn't have been developed. There, I got to experience how it is to have dilapidated books which you would return at the end of the year, how it is to have broken chairs, how is it to clean our classroom because there were no janitors and how is it to do your necessities in a comfort room that smells like nobody has cleaned it for 10 years. This is really a horrid situation but for people who have no money to get a private education, this is their only choice. At least, it's better than not having an education at all. But things could be better.

[monkeydust]

Interestingly in Britain, Public schools are places where the rich pay thousands for their kids to get the bets education. They're called 'public' because during the years they were founded, the only other real form of education (other than self-education) was private tutoring. In any case, I think they should be shut down.

Reading this, I consider myself somewhat lucky, my textbooks and teachers are actually remarkably objective, and, in some cases quite radical.

[fallen camarade]

I am going to have to agree with alwaysquestion on this. American public schools are where you start. Many teachers are closed minded and will teach only what they want to, sometimes books may have a slight bias, but it is all about how much you want to learn. I have found that many social studies teachers at the high school and later middle school levels are turning to revisionist history for a different view on things, allowing students to get another look at what they may have been taught earlier on. For instance, we are all taught at young age that Christopher Columbus was a nice man who resorted to peaceful methods to move about the "new world", while in high school, many social studies teachers ( who in my opinion are the teachers teaching the most useful topics in public schools ), are teaching their students the story from the revisionist history standpoint of Columbus promoting senseless killings of native americans just for amusement, etc. These teachers wish to give this insight. Many of them suggest reading "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn to their students Also, it seems like more choice in learned topics during later pubilc schooling are available, which are the years where you develop most of your own opinions.

The point is, that of course public schooling is an imperfect system. It is based on standardized tests, and grading systems that don't truly represent a student's understanding. It does indeed contain many one-sided elements to it. Of course the general idea of education is to teach us to obey a system. That's why it was made; to have an "educated" population that could commit themselves to improving the economy based on the "skills" they had learned. Most of American schooling has an end result of being proud to wave around the sheepskin trophy known as a diploma to show how good you are at kissing ass.

However, to a select few intellectuals, going to college is something they are eager for because they want to learn, not just to have a piece of paper that says you stuck it out, and in order to do this, you must go through lesser schooling, which for most people, is public. School is boring and dosen't really inspire you creatively in most cases, but if you truly want to learn, you will find a way to do so. Making your statement about your disapproval, and getting others to back you up is the first step, and then just make your point. Obviously, students aren't usually a governing sector in a public school, but a collective voice can't be ignored. You have to use the general things you learn about in high school, and use them as a platform from which you learn more, and get the whole story. If what is being taught to you in public school is truly of no use to you, then don't investigate it further. Just take on the basics, and move on. Try and tell others among you about your thoughts of the system, and if they refuse to educate themselves, then it is not your job to make them. Be happy that you understand the problems, and work with them. It's that mentality that will get you thinking.

[fallen camarade]

n/a

[Stapler]

Education, and all essential services should be provided by the government.