The End of Education by Neil Postman - Essay Example

Teacher’s information ?The End of Education? In The End of Education, Neil Postman asserts that public schooling as we know it may be in danger of disappearing in the foreseeable future. That is to say, public schools might be privatized or they might be controlled by corporations if these institutions do not find a worthwhile aspiration and a useful purpose to serve (29). The author is convinced that schools need to justify their existence by providing students with an engaging and valuable curriculum that will help boys and girls have a strong inducement to continue learning and a good reason to enjoy living. Personally, I have to admit that as I was reading The End of Education I did not think the matter had anything to do with me. I have never thought public schools were in danger of becoming extinct, especially if we consider that most parents and most figures of authorities want to exert some control over youngsters. I have to admit that I have often wondered why youngsters have to go to a particular building in order to learn something that can be learned at home or at a public library. What’s more, I had never even thought about schools serving a specific purpose, I had always thought that going to school is something all of us have got to do, that it was one of our duties, just like doing the dishes or doing your laundry. That is until I read The End of Education. The author certainly struck a chord with me and I started noticing certain things when I looked around school. I realized that some students do seem to enjoy going to school, doing homework and research projects, participating in extracurricular activities and socializing with other students. This made me wonder whether they knew something about school that I did not, whether they felt some affection for a place for which I never cared. I started thinking: How is it possible that some kids enjoy school so much and others, like me, feel indifferent and apathetic? How is it possible that some students find school so very satisfying while others think it is one more item in a list of responsibilities? Personally, I am willing to admit that it is true that learning about certain topics and acquiring new practical skills can be interesting and make me feel a sense of accomplishment, in my experience, school is just a place where you spend too much time with other people who do not care too much about each other. It is a place where you spend 8 or 9 or 10 hours every day, listening to the teacher and to other students, before you can go back home. However, as I read the text once again I noticed that some of the arguments expressed by Neil Post are valid. I never thought that the words of an educator would resonate with me, but a few of the statements he made me think that schools could really change students’ perspectives and that schools could provide youngsters with meaningful goals. I think that the most important point the author makes is that schools and teachers should work under the premise that humans are ?an error-prone species? (31) and, the second most important point is that every single one of us is responsible for the only home we are ever going to have: our planet. Another valid point is when he said that different religions and ethnicities have values, customs, views and traditions that should be studied so as to have an open mind and becoming more tolerant (62). He also stated that that if we took the trouble of studying other groups, we could come to admire the values in every culture. As I said before, I have noticed that some students are definitely more enthusiastic about school than others. A fact that made me ask the following questions: are some students more passionate about school because of their upbringing? Is it because their parents have taught them something mine did not? And if that is the case: How can schools and teachers have apathetic students become engaged and more actively involved in school? It seems obvious to me to point out the fact that the subjects that move some students, that have a profound impact on them, do not have the same effect on a different group of students. It does not matter what subject is taught, somebody is bound to get bored, somebody is bound to think such a subject is unnecessary. It also seems to me that once a student has learned that school is something we have got to do in order to be able to attend university and get a degree, how can teachers make us find another purpose for learning? Well, I think Neil Postman has found some very compelling arguments that could make indifferent students such as me, take an interest in school. His proposal is very simple: schools need a god to serve. Well, he calls it gods others might feel more comfortable calling them purposes or profound truths, in short, something that gives us a reason to live, something that might be able to keep despair away and hope alive. We have to have a reason not to kill ourselves or turn to drugs and alcohol or become violent beings (8). The author even goes as far as to say that we are a god-making species (6) and that public education and schools need a god just as much as we do. There has got to be a god or a narrative good enough for people to continue believing in schools and for students to continue attending these institutions. He states that gods are necessary because they give us a measure of control over their lives and because humans have got to have a purpose that will help them to continue living and learning (7) and to derive pleasure from both activities. When the author mentioned that we are far more likely to make mistakes than not and that people in general and teachers in particular are not tolerant of errors, I remembered many instances when I did not know the answer to a question and found myself in the same position the author did. And I, too, tried to cheat. However, cheating is not the only problem. I have come to realize that when I do not know the answer to a question, I get so anxious that I start to think that making up an answer is better than remaining quiet. When that happens and people notice I am making things up, I feel useless and rather stupid. I have often wondered why I do not keep silent when I am not familiar with a topic or why I do not simply say: ?I do not know?. And that is when the author words made me realize that when people do not accept that everybody makes mistakes, some people become more anxious and nervous, those who are unfortunate enough to make a mistake, and some people become judgmental, the ones who notice the mistake. The author affirms that teachers should allow students to make mistakes, for teachers themselves are also bound to make several mistakes, especially during a lesson. And he states that students should be given the task or the duty of spotting those mistakes and correcting them (50). Now, that brings to mind an anecdote. I once met a lady who used to teach at a public school and she told me she deliberately made mistakes in order to find out whether her students were paying attention and to see whether they had learned anything. Some detected the mistakes, some did not. The point is: if teachers do decide to tell students to monitor their classes and correct any mistakes or misconceptions, are teachers going to deliberately give wrong information? Or is the author simply hoping to find out whether students can tell the difference between fact and opinion? Whether students can notice a piece of information is not completely accurate or relevant? There is another question that has been bothering me: how are students to detect when a teacher is giving an opinion? It seems to me that teachers are going to try as hard as they can to appear as knowledgeable as possible. And yet another issue that has aroused my interest is: even though all of us make mistakes, it seems to me that some mistakes are worse than others. When is a mistake more acceptable than others? If I said that India is in Africa, would that be more or less serious than saying that ?fun? is an adjective rather than a noun? The author also mentions that making mistakes is part of experimenting. Experimentation is one of the gods that appeal to him the most. He has come up with a god named The American experiment (56). It is obvious that if we are going to experiment and try new methods and new ideas, we are more than likely to make several mistakes. I have stated before that making mistakes terrifies me, for I feel I am not keeping up with the rest of my classmates and I feel the teacher is going to put me in the spotlight. However, the author emphasizes that if this god is to play an important role in helping public schools to remain relevant and useful, that we have got to correct our mistakes as soon as can be so that we can redeem ourselves (31). This made me think there is a problem that has to be dealt with before we can start to correct our mistakes. We have got to admit that we have miscalculated or misinterpreted something in the first place. And, how many teenagers are willing to admit they have made a mistake? I have often heard that teenagers think they know everything, if that is the case how many of them are going to own up to having done something they should not have? How many of them are going to confess that they do not know everything? How many of them are going to concede that they are in the wrong? Obviously, some mistakes are more obvious than others. If I say that Coca-cola is gooder than Pesi, everybody will notice that I cannot use comparatives, they will mock me and I will be made to feel useless and pathetic. However, there are other mistakes that are not so apparent. When those mistakes are involved, how will a teacher be able to get a student to admit that they have done something wrong? I suppose some people might say that that is not the point the author was trying to make, but the issue remains: if I make a mistake and feel incredibly embarrassed about it, nobody is going to convince me to talk about it or to even address the issue. I am not strong enough to own up to my mistakes and I am sure I am not the only one. How can a teacher do in order to talk me into exposing myself to derision and fixing things? The mere idea of being involved in an embarrassing situations makes me extremely anxious and uncomfortable, what can a teacher or another student do in order to overcome those feelings so that I can try to make things better? Another point made by the author is that groups of people can hold different truths, that people can believe different narratives that can contradict each other, but that are valid all the same. He states that schools should teach as many truths or as many versions of events as they can in order to promote tolerance This, in my opinion, is a rather difficult issue. Another point that seems valid to me is what the author calls The Law of Diversity, which is a celebration of the contributions to the American culture made by different religious and ethnic groups and by people from different nationalities. (34). Personally, I have to admit to being very interested in learning about different religions and ethnicities; I think it might be fascinating to learn more about groups of people with whom I do not normally have any contact. In my experience, when I have wanted to learn more about other groups, I have been told to either read books whose size can often be overwhelming or to ask members of those religions, but oftentimes, I do not know anybody who fits that description   or I am told it is disrespectful to ask people I do not know about their religious beliefs. There seems to be a veil of secrecy surrounding some religions. However, it would be very difficult to get past people’s prejudices and preconceived ideas about all religions. Additionally, learning about religion might be a tedious lesson in which some matters are not open for debate. It seems to me that we would have to memorize a number of ? facts ? and the teacher would expect us to believe those facts are true and irrefutable. I think they would have to find a way to teach about religions without trying to brainwash or convince people that one religion is better, more believable, more accurate, more relevant, etc. For to some of us, it is obvious what is depicted in some movies is not true, and what the media keep telling us about other groups cannot be one hundred percent accurate either. Learning about other groups would help do away with false stereotypes and negative notions about groups of people about whom we know nothing about. However, I ask myself: how can we express interest without appearing condescending, insincere or impertinent? How can a teacher manage to create an open environment where students considered members of a minority group can feel welcome to talk about their views, their mores and their ways of life? Now let us suppose that schools decide that teaching about religions and ethnicities is a valuable experience for the students, how can teachers and school authorities know that a particular subject matter is not too controversial? How will they be able to tell when we are getting carried away when dealing with one of the more sensitive topics? How will we know when to stop a discussion or debate and move on to a different topic? How will be able to detect the moment tempers begin to flare? I believe I have said that people can be judgmental, if that is the case what is to stop me and the rest of the student body from judging people who believe in things we consider silly or illogical. We might have a healthy dose of curiosity and we might be able to hear about customs and traditions different from our own, but if one of the subject matters being addressed seems too fanciful or extraordinary to be true, what is to stop us from offending (advertently or inadvertently) some student’s sensibilities. We are teenagers and we are not known for being diplomatic or for caring about other people’s feelings. How can teachers keep us from hurting somebody’s feelings? There is another thing that seems to be too good to be true, I might want to learn about other traditions and I might express some interest in getting to know about Jews, Muslims, Christians, Latinos, Asians, Eastern Europeans, etc, but other people are not going to be as interested or as curious as I am. There is bound to be a group of people who simply do not care about their neighbor or about school ?minorities?. People who seem to think that it is enough to know about the kind of food these groups eat or about the holidays they celebrate. It seems to me that when a foreigner or a student who is not a Christian/ protestant is one of our classmates, people do not seem too interested in talking to him or her as they are in talking about him: their looks, the way they dress, they way the behave, etc.  That might not be enough to start a debate or to get students to talk about other cultures, ethnicities or religious groups. Perhaps it is, as I have notice teenagers are rather interested in fashion and the way people dress, but after that topic has been exhausted, there seems to be little else that might draw students’ attention. How can a teacher go from talking about fashion and holidays to talking about the role of women in Asian countries or about laws and regulations in South American countries? One of the most important points the author made was the notion that human beings are responsible for the only home we are ever going to have. We are the crewmembers of what he calls The Spaceship Earth (29). The idea is simple, what we do to the planet, the damage we inflict on the environment has consequences. If I am not responsible and continue abusing my environment, I am not the only one who is going to pay a heavy price for my unconscious behavior. If our species is to survive, all of us have got to take care of our planet. While I fully admit to being extremely worried about our future on this planet and about the planet itself, I have noticed that other people do not seem to realize or they simply can not appreciate how serious the damage is. I imagine that there are some people do not care because they are too self-involved or because they do not think that they are going to have to face the consequences. And I am sure that there are some people do not care because they have to face more pressing issues. If I am a kid with well off parents and I have not been brought up to care about others or about the community or about the environment, how can a teacher convince me to care? If I am a kid in a dire situation, if I am too poor to care about anything other than having food on the table and having a roof over my head, if I have experienced abuse at the hands of my elders, am I really going to devote time to thinking of ways to improve my neighborhood or my school? This reminds me of a similar thing that currently takes place in the Amazons, I have watched programs about people in that part of the world that are too deprived to care about the environment or about the ecological damage they have caused to the forest, they only worry about feeding their families and having a job. There is another issue regarding our role we have to play in taking care of our planet. The author says that we have to start from the beginning and try to do our best to help our neighborhood, our school and our communities. But this made me think of the time I decided to start recycling, which is a very small step, but that made me feel less guilty and made me feel as if I was contributing to a good cause. However, no sooner had I started recycling tan I noticed the places I used to take glass and plastic containers, no longer offered those services. What’s more, nobody in those places was able to tell me where I could take those glass bottles and plastic containers. Consequently, my room had been filled with piles of plastic containers and more than a few glass bottles before I decided to throw them away. I have to admit that I felt kind of disheartened and a Little bit mad about this situation. But it made me think that there was nothing I could do to try and change the area where I live. I also have to admit that I am selfish, and that recycling made me feel a little superior because I was doing something to reduce the amount of garbage that is generated every day. I brought this up because the same thing can happen to other initiatives, the same thing can happen to bigger and better projects. Students might try to improve their neighborhoods and communities, but there are always going to be obstacles that will make the task harder than it should be. And if and when that happens, I can predict that several students are not going to continue wasting their time and energy. How are teachers and students who remain optimistic going to deal with this situation? Do they really have the power or the means to keep motivating pessimistic students? And once they realize a particular initiative does not work or it is not entirely viable, what is going to replace it? Who is going to decide what issues to tackle next? How can they determine which issues are more serious? Or do they expect to deal with several different issues at the same time? I am a rather pessimistic person, which is why I am convinced that after a series of failed attempts at improving the community or the school, most students are going to give up and stop caring about anything other than their own lives and their own problems. Perhaps, I am being overly skeptical, but I in my experience things do tend to go wrong more often than not. Having said that, I do believe the idea is great and could work if the students have the support of the authorities and if one or many methods to track progress can be found and implemented. If students notice that their hard work is reaping results, I am positive even the more pessimistic boys and girls will find something to motivate them and keep doing their best. After having read what the author said about schooling and about our need for one or more gods and after having read about the gods he deems useful and about the narratives he finds moving, I started thinking about a very serious issue: if we create gods, they will sooner or later become too powerful and will get out of control. And if that is the case they will no longer obey us or work for us, we will not be able to control them. The author agrees that we cannot allow them to enslave us (8), but how are we supposed to stop these gods from getting out of hand? The author mentioned that different ideals have had a terrible effect on societies around the world. How are we supposed to be in command of a god once it has become too dominant? I remember watching a German movie called Die Welle, and that is all I could think about when the author mentioned gods and becoming a part of a group. The teacher in this movie wanted to see whether students would become part of a pet project and this project got out of hand. The teacher wanted students to learn about their past and to find out whether their generation could repeat the same mistakes their grandparents’ generation had made. Some students got too involved and things got too far. I realize that the movie was not dealing with the same issues this book is dealing with, but the movie does have something in common with one of the issues present in this book: a teacher found a narrative that got students involved and some students got so caught up that narrative that a student died and the teacher’s life was irrevocably changed. The god got out of control. This could happen, a narrative could become noxious and if that comes to happen, what are teachers or what are school-authorities supposed to do in order to restore some order? Works cited Postman, Neil. The End of Education. New York: Vintage Books, 1996. Read More