Worth of the Public Education Essay Example

emphasis on cultivating a love for learning. However, public education is often deemed impractical and unimportant by many students due to tedious and dull lessons.

The time wasted during travel to schools, between classes, attendance taking, and due to disruptions from other students can be used for more valuable activities such as reading breaks or ending the day earlier. The absence of a passion for learning can hinder both teachers and students from understanding the essential values of education. This situation prevents students from exploring the true meaning and objectives of education. As conveyed by John Taylor Gatto, the primary goals of education include creating responsible individuals, good citizens, and enabling each person to reach their full potential (154). However, students struggle to attain these goals in an environment with limited freedom to learn and lack of options provided by the school system.

Schools require that students learn specific subjects and assume that every student will comprehend the information. Every student has their own distinctiveness and dissimilarity. Public education alone cannot meet the requirements and aspiration of every individual to gain knowledge that is genuinely advantageous for them. Consequently, not everyone can fit the description of the person John Taylor Gatto illustrates in his article founded on their experience with public education.

The author, Abu Selinuddin, argues in his article "Good Public Education Is Our Basic Human Right" that the public education system provides sufficient preparation for future success (6). Despite the system's effectiveness in teaching general subjects like science, math, English, and history, students may not always learn what they truly need. For instance, Michael Moore's study found that 40% of students did not know

the date of the Civil War (134).

This alarming outcome demonstrates the insufficient education provided by public schools. Students are not taught how to differentiate between valuable and worthless information. As a consequence, individuals lacking general knowledge of history end up working for the government, while those unaware of how the government operates end up electing a president. This peculiar pattern can have a detrimental effect on society as a whole.

According to John Taylor Gatto, the objective is to create a homogeneous society by enforcing conformity and stifling any dissenting opinions or creativity. This aim exists universally, as he claims that it seeks "to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality" (155). A shared understanding and viewpoint among people are crucial for prosperous nations.

Effective education systems are crucial as they produce valuable citizens and reap the benefits of their contributions. However, the educational environment's significance is often overlooked. Sadly, due to rising crime, violence, and disorder in schools, the public school system no longer provides a secure learning environment for students and teachers. Therefore, school safety has become an important national issue that requires immediate attention since these problems endanger lives and obstruct the learning process.

The "Indicators of School Crime and Safety" study (1) found that 8 percent of high school students had experienced threats or injuries with weapons in the previous year while 25 percent had access to drugs on school premises in 2005.

According to the study, public schools have failed in their duty to create a secure and peaceful learning environment. This casts doubt on the need

for attending traditional schools as homeschooling can provide more favorable conditions for education. Eliminating unnecessary obstacles allows teachers and students to focus on achieving their objectives. Instead of allocating significant resources towards crime prevention, schools should invest that money in academic pursuits and student well-being.

John Taylor Gatto challenges the conventional idea of education's purpose in his article, "Do we really need school? And if so, for what?" He argues against limiting education to reading, writing, and arithmetic by citing the success of homeschooling. Rather than treating schools like prisons with metal detectors, weapon checks and drug testing, Gatto believes that students should attend school solely for learning. He emphasizes the importance of teachers and students evaluating the public education system to ensure it provides an environment conducive to learning.

According to John Taylor Gatto, homeschooling provides children with stimulating solitude through one-to-one learning and increased opportunities for extracurricular activities. Additionally, homeschooling offers benefits such as proximity to home and increased protection from real-world issues like smoking, drugs, and sex. With direct access to their teacher and without classmates hindering them, students can ask questions whenever necessary.

According to Patrick Basham, one-on-one learning is crucial for gaining a comprehensive understanding of academic material and developing students' personal character. In his article, Basham refutes concerns from the education field that suggest homeschooled students lack opportunities for extracurricular activities, stating that they actually participate in a wide range of activities. With more flexible schedules, homeschooling parents can incorporate hands-on practice of educational material and utilize external resources like museums and libraries. This allows students to enjoy fun and educational breaks. Moreover, homeschooling provides an environment where students can express themselves

and their ideas freely and without restrictions.

The advantages of homeschooling comprise exploring the captivating facets of various subjects and nurturing personality growth. Homeschooled students have the advantage of sufficient time to explore their studies comprehensively, complete tasks, and enjoy valuable moments with family members. Moreover, homeschooling provides parents with a chance to deal with character concerns in their children successfully, while evaluating their social and emotional necessities for achieving overall equilibrium in their lives. Lastly, students can also reflect on themselves and appraise their progress.

Michael Moore (141) argues that today's students' most crucial skill is the ability to conduct research. Homeschoolers acquire this skill by spending time in contemplation at home, allowing them to think beyond limits and develop distinctive characters. Consequently, homeschoolers have a higher likelihood of becoming future leaders and adventurers. The public education system has failed in its role as the primary teaching institution, ignoring its responsibility to educate students and guide them towards a brighter future.

The public education system no longer prioritizes creating a safe environment, core materials, and fulfilling the true purpose of education. Instead, its primary focus is solely to create intelligent individuals rather than fully developed ones. However, in today’s society, success and being an active member of the government requires a well-rounded education.

Although homeschooling does not necessarily produce individuals with higher intelligence and knowledge, it does create individuals who are exceptionally capable and valuable to modern society. While public school students may be more numerous and commonly recognized, those who are homeschooled and well-developed as minorities have a promising future ahead of them.

Source: Moore, Michael. "Idiot Nation."

The text below pertains to various sources, including a

book titled "Rereading America 7th edition (2007)", with page numbers 132-149 and 152-159, as well as articles by John Gatto and Patrick Basham on topics such as schooling and homeschooling. The text is contained within a

tag.

Within the realm of education policy, Abu Selimuddin discusses the fundamental importance of good public education as a basic human right in the 2007 edition of the Community College Journal. Additionally, statistics on indicators of school crime and safety in education can be found in the 2007 edition of Education Statistics.

On October 16th, 2008, Marlow Ediger referenced a webpage on nces.ed.gov regarding crime indicators in 2007.

"THE AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL." College Student Journal 422008 814-817. Retrieved on October 16, 2008 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4;hid=7;sid=74ad5e39-2e1d-4508a5840d51a5a9a2f8%40SRCSM2;bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh;AN=34262670.