education and community
i don’t think many people would contest the idea that education benefits our communities. the question to consider is whether the current institutions we have set up hurt or help our communities.
yea there can be great teachers, i’ve had some of these and they are part of what make schools worthwhile. yea they provide a space to learn and explore and meet new people.
theoretically, that is.
i was talking to a friend of mine and he was telling me about a time when a protest was organized in farragut high school to protest the high fees students were being charged. i looked it up. here is a link to an article about it:
http://catalyst-chicago.org/news/index.php?item=1778&cat=30
the accountabilty and criteria for the fees was hazy at best. what struck me was how administrations react when students fight back. i guess i should not be that surprised but it is not so different from how administrations react in movies. students are threatened with suspensions, even expulsions. they look for the organizers. looking for someone to blame to discourage other students from standing up too. anyone who helps them, like teachers, are also made an example.
i don’t know how it turned out in farragut, but i am looking at something more recent. that was in 2005. earlier this month a group of students at morton west protested against the war. they were told to move to a different spot than the lunchroom, which they did (locking arms at some point so they would not be arrested).
now some are facing 10 day expulsions. others 5 day expulsions. those with a lesser punishment are the ones with a higher gpa. the students and parents are protesting these arbitrary and discriminatory desicions. here is that article:
i guess the conclution i draw is that schools are not places for kids to learn but places to keep them in place. to indoctrinate them almost. keep them out of ‘trouble.’
i mean there are exceptions with teachers and other administrators but their jobs are made hard by the stric ways of learning (curriculums) and other restrictions placed on them. they too are organizing though.
the students are taught the theoretical aspects of their rights but should they ever try to implement them they are met with resistance from the authorities.
we really have to work on our education systems. and on alternatives to these as well. shoot.
