Public Education

Rigid education for individuals never seems to work out logically, although somehow cultural transmission to the young for masses of people obviously does. But attempts to raise children into a certain mold fail as often as not. 

Ignoring actual history, Americans like to believe in a mix of models. The family, public or private schools, churches, peers, life (work, the street, the school of hard knocks.) And, eventually, self. Their main fantasy, however, has been faith in the golden era of the ’50s, when they are sure that schools provided academics, nuclear families trained values, churches tuned young minds to higher spiritual aspirations.

Now, they lament, the schools are wicked, the family is broken, the church has shattered to dust.

In reality, public schools have evolved a lot in a few hundred years. Originally conceived to provide the foundations of good citizenship, they were harnessed to industrialize the thinking and work habits of the masses. In more recent times, they have served the role of babysitter and warden to keep youths out of trouble until they are 20 or so.

In an affluent society, what should schools be? What education should they provide? Interesting and profound questions but…

Unfortunately, hijacked by the most ignorant, bigoted, fanatic minorities of society. It will be interesting to observe how that odd and exciting confluence of forces plays out. Not, of course, that any of it is good for the children themselves.