Accepting Authority Or Education?

       Education, what is it? Is it a system where we train our kids to be efficient units in a capitalist society so they can seek capitalist style "success"? Or perhaps it is a system where we train our kids to be obedient and submit to authority? Or is it a system where by we help our children become self sufficient, freethinking and caring individuals?

      On reflection and what we know of the present education system I think we can score the latter of our list. Kids are regimented and are taught to respect an over riding authority. Hardly the formula for creating freethinking individuals, but an excellent system for making them subservient to authority, once they have left that "educating" institution.

      I have heard of Summerhill School and the works of S. L. Neil, but sadly don't know very much about him and his theories, but found this video fascinating. It does state that it is based on a real case but fictionalised in the making of the film.

       Is this the road for education, treating kids as equals, involving them in all decision making, and allowing them to be involved as they wish? I expect a load of criticism about this method, but we do have a load of criticisms of the present education system. So where does that leave us?

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The Education Production Factory.

         Modern state education is in fact not education, it is programming children to fit into a capitalist system as a productive unit, the human aspect of the individual is secondary, if considered at all. It is also the state's way of conditioning children to accept authority, an necessary attribute for the survival of the state. Teachers in the modern state education system are the state's soft police. If they fail to shape the child into a subservient subject, then the hard police and the judiciary system will take over and continue the conditioning. The state's final policing authority is of course the military. 

        As children we are taught a false history, a value structure that puts wealth possession above well being, our future success will be measured by how much we can earn, not by what we can contribute, the progress of success is seen as a ladder, you have to climb above others, you have to climb higher. Grades, diplomas, degrees, all badges in the drive to get up that ladder, competition rather than co-operation. I know we can do better than this for our children.
From More Thought:

Wild Children - Domesticated Dreams:  

An Interview with Layla AbdelRahim

       “Schools teach children the principles of death and of suffering. They do not teach them the principles of life, which is diversity, which is being out there in the world. They teach them within closed systems, within closed buildings and walls, separated from the rest of the world. They teach them that violence is legitimate when it is applied from the top to the bottom and that it is illegitimate when it is practised in resistance or defence of diversity and life. They teach children that humanity is alien to this world, that success means pleasing those in authority who will own the products of our flesh, of our effort, of our work, of our love.” - Layla AbdelRahim 

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk