The comments seem only a slight variant on the teacher-bashing that much
educational research far too easily falls into. Okay, we blame the
institution, not the people in it--but what's the difference, really?
Then, much of the criticism seems to be directed at primary and secondary
schooling, but many of us are teachers too, right? Yet the diagnoses have
tended to adopt a stance from the outside. Just rhetoric? If schooling is
so bad, what are we doing continuing with the work we do? Are we somehow
different? Why don't we go do something ethical? Are universities somehow
different?
I can't bring myself to believe that all schooling serves ill-purposes;
that all schools are designed to have children fail. The public school
system in this country is by design one of separated powers, with a much
greater degree of local control than that of most other postindustrial
nations. Of course there are struggles to control it, but the very fact of
struggle indicates the battle has not been won. Dedicated teachers create
space to do good work. Kids get inspired.
And to the extent that schools *do* fail kids, should our criticism of this
start with the schools? Our economy creates great wealth--and distributes
it inequitably. Our political system rests on revolutionary
principles--and struggles to enact them. Seems to me that's the level we
need to look for the problem...
Martin
===========
Martin Packer
Associate Professor
Department of Psychology
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA 15282
office: (412) 396-4852
department: (412) 396-6520
packer who-is-at duq3.cc.duq.edu
http://www.duq.edu/liberalarts/gradpsych/packer.html