Why school don’t educate

Why school don’t educate

Wisaphorn Intarachueajan

I have been reading John Taylor Gatto's point of view against television and school. I agreed with him that some kids need to cut down spending too much time on television, but I don't think that the kids spend too much time in school. Gatto made it sound like school and television takes over a "whole" lot of time for kids to grow up, time with family and their private time. "My children attend school thirty hours a week; use about eight hours getting ready, going and coming home; and spend an average of seven hours a week in home work"(John Taylor Gatto). He makes us think that the children study too much. A matter of fact; he overlooked the fact that our kids don't really go to school all year long. They have winter break, spring break and a whole three months for summer vacation, not counting other holidays and weekends that they get to take off. They sure have enough time. I never heard of any teacher complain about kids spend too much time in school before. And he was "The best teacher of the year" "Think of the things that are killing us as a nation: drugs, brainless competition, recreational sex, the pornography of violence, gambling, alcohol, and the worst pornography of all – lives devoted to buying things- accumulation as a philosophy – all of them are addictions of dependent personalities, and that is what our brand of schooling must inevitably produce"(Gatto) That is pretty true that school inevitably produce but I don't think that in the communities don't have these problems, they are everywhere. What are actually teacher's duties? Do they only come to school seven or eight hours a day to teach and go home? Why can't the kids grow up with teachers at school as well as with their parents at home? I do believe that children need guidance. The problem is not school and television, but the current education system doesn't know how to show the students the usefulness of the skills. What's the point of having a lot of time with themselves but they don't know how to it worthily? Many kids might be agreed with Gatto, because most of them don't like school. Maybe he should focus on what teachers are going to teach and interest the students to use the skills they learn more than giving them time that they don't know how to spend worthily.

When I was in high school, many times I questioned my teacher. Why do I have to learn this and that, Am I really going to need it in the future? My teacher would always say "This is what everybody does, and you have to as well." Until now I still don't get it. It seems like it really doesn't matter how they are taught, as long as the students pass the exams. Which is kind of support Gatto that schools don't educate but I don't think school is a waste of time if we have a better system.

When I went to high school in Thailand, everything was way different than in the US. All the kids did the same things. I went to school from eight to four every day, but that's not enough; I had to go to tutoring school until nine at night because everybody else did, in order to get in a good university. I came home at nine-thirty, did my homework and went to bed. On Saturday I went to tutoring school from nine in the morning to four in the afternoon. Sunday was left for studying and doing homework. I didn't see my parents all day sometimes. This fact happens to many kids in Asia. I think this is called too much, but I grew up fine never had any problems. I think keeping yourself busy on school is better than having too much free time to curious about drugs and sex.

When I came over to American's high school, I was surprised that they didn't have any tutoring school at all. Kids got to play or do something for themselves after school, like watching television, sports, playing games etc. And I thought it was good enough. How much more time do they need? I also wanted to clarify that Gatto got it wrong with the television. "My children watch fifty-five hours of television a week" Gatto said. Do they really watch television like 7-8 hours a day? I mean that is kind of exaggerating. He is the parent, why would he let them watch that much. But anyhow did he mean what they watch are nonsensical or something? He didn't say what they are watching. If it is nonsensical, maybe he should guide them what is good for them and actually watch it with them. Is television the real problem that wrecks the kids?
They banned all bad words, sexual scene, drug, cruelty etc. on television anyways. No, television is not really the real problem that ruins kid's life, but what's on it. Depends on what parents guide them to watch and how long they should be watching. I personally think that television is a very good entertainment. It interests kids more than listening to teacher talk the whole class. Many teachers use television as an instruction media, which is a great idea. It would be a better situation for the individual child.

should we just have every child do home school and smash all the televisions?