I purchased "Is Public Education Necessary?" from Amazon used books a while back and just got the chance to sit down and start reading it. I'm only on page 7 but I wanted to share a bit of what Samuel Blumenfeld writes because I whole heartily agree with it .......
"Today, most of the young adults who emerge from the process [of public school] read poorly, write miserably, have stunted vocabularies, cannot do arithmetic well, know little geography and less history, and know virtually nothing about the economic system in which they live. At school they fall under strong peer pressure, are introduced to drugs and sexual promiscuity, while their teachers preach the moral relativism of secular humanism as a substitute for the outmoded codes of religion. Traditional discipline has been replaced by behavior modification techniques, which include the use of powerful drugs developed by behavioral psychologists. Some students, puzzled by the deeper, spiritual questions of life, which neither the humanists nor behaviorists can address turn to astrology, black magic, or religious cults for answers. The average graduate, however, tries to make his way into the adult world with a serious deficiency in basic skills and the use of logic. The process, in short, is a stunting of intellectual and spiritual growth. Every September a new generation of American children are fed into this crippling process, and American parents are at a loss to understand why the young adults emerging at the end are the way they are. The school buildings look fine from the outside. But parents are only vaguely aware of what goes on inside."
WOW. Did that hit you like a ton of bricks? Or maybe you're saying, "Yep. That's what I've been saying all along!" Either way, this book looks as if it is going to be wonderful and I'm excited to read it.
Want to know the crazy thing? This book was first published in 1981! Over 30 years ago! How have we been so blind for so long?
I may share more as I read through it. Want to read through it with me, for free? Here is the link to read the book online.
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7 comments:
Amazing. My husband and I both attended private schools and now all of our children are in the same system. I can't remember the exact numbers but our schools are able to operate at about 1/3 of the cost (per child)of what the public schools spend. AND the education is far superior! (as shown by test scores)
I am concerned for my eldest granddaughter in this system. The middle one will sail through, and the youngest will be home schooled.
So many things ring true in this little bit that you shared here. Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather :)
Saying and doing all along. I was blessed that my mom homeschooled me from K to graduation. All because she really didn't like the K teacher.
My Christmas gift from my husband last year was a book on homeschooling, his way of saying "I'm giving you permission to teach our kids." I'm thrilled, and I already know what method I'll be using. I'm more flexible on the books themselves, as some personalities just don't mesh with certain teaching methods. Plus my mom has been keeping her eye on homeschooling materials, even though she's been out of the scene for 7 years now.
Anyhow, I DO know what goes on in the public schools, because for 7 years my husband taught at a public high school teacher. Truly, every year the students produce less intelligent works. I would often times help my husband grade the papers and could only shake my head at their capabilities.
The newest thing these days is writing papers and answers in "text type". Incredibly frustrating to read, and in a few years it'll start to spill over to community and undergrad college level. :(
It's very easy reading, from what I can tell. Thanks for sharing.
I'm going to be checking out this link when I have more time.
I can't wait!
The thing I always have to remind myself is... all the arguments in favor of school choice, homeschooling, private schools, charter schools, etc., assume that parents care about their children. I've been a high school teacher... there are a lot of parents who do not care about their children's education and will not expend any more effort than legally required to have them in school. Drive across town? Pay a small amount? Even just fill out an application and have an interview? Forget it! If there weren't state-mandated and -provided schooling, they'd have the kids run free... see old movies that have children tramping around all day, getting up to trouble with the cops from age 10 or less. Even if it's just babysitting, it's more than they'd get if it weren't required...
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