Educational Riches

Response #5

Schooling is something that I have never been much of a fan of. I started to dislike it around the time I learned the word ‘like‘ had an antonym, and it continues to disgust me to this day. Of course my reasons have changed from then and now, I no longer detest school because of its lack of eight hour recesses, but instead because of its lack of actual purpose. Sure, the social aspect was always great, and I appreciate the knowledge that I have gained throughout, but sadly enough, that is all the thanks that can be accounted for. I can tell you what I am NOT thankful for though, hell, I could rant if I felt like writing a novel, but for sanities sake I will just sum it up.
The most bittersweet part of my educational journey so far was no doubt my four years of high school. Sweet; because I passed most all of my classes, even though at the end of the year I couldn’t tell you one thing I actually learned. Bitter; because now that I’m in college, I realize how incredibly unprepared I am. During my years in public high school, the teachers passed students regardless of whether or not they were actually prepared to move on or not. I skipped school frequently, cheated on every final, and did not do my homework. Yet, here I am; graduated. It would have been nice to have been pushed to actually do my work occasionally, so that when it came time to walk out of that building four years later, I would be ready for college; knowledge and insight intact. I now realize that it was because it didn’t really matter whether or not I took in the information. All that was important was that I did indeed continue on to college, not exactly to learn, but to become an employer of sorts as well. Apparently, I am not the only one who feels this way.
According to John Bellamy Foster at Monthly Review, “very little of schooling at the elementary and secondary levels is oriented to developing actual skills, much less knowledge-which, to the extent that they are needed for later employment, can be obtained on the job or in post-secondary education.” So this is why it did not actually matter whether or not I leaned in high school. All that mattered was that I got sent onto the next grade, my teachers got their tiny checks, and life went on. This is not the teachers fault I believe. As John points out, fault lies with the economic shortcomings of our capitalistic society instead. Little skills are required in capitalistic society jobs, and that is why students aren’t learning actual skills at school.
Education is just another victim of corporate America, and our schools suffer from that; especially college. Shit pay for teachers yet we pay thousands of dollars to go to school each year, multimillion dollar collegiate sports programs… its all just money not real worth. All that matters in America is that the guy at the top of the corporation gets his riches.

Works Cited

Foster, John Bellamy. "Education and the Structural Crisis of Capital :: Monthly Review."Monthly Review, An Independent Socialist Magazine. Monthly Review, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 24 Sept. 2011. <http://monthlyreview.org/2011/07/01/education-and-the-structural-crisis-of-capital>.