In this chapter it was understandable to see how the problems we have today have stemmed from past discussions of the American school system. Mann’s views of education as the end-all-be-all to society problems was an interesting approach I thought to improve society. However, the problems that the workingmen brought up about this utopian mindset actually oppressing the labor class was quite correct in my opinion. Mann’s concepts of trying to avoid crime, poverty, and rebellion by promoting a “common” education and moral standard in society gave rise to the unwanted class division in the first place. I agreed with the workingmen in that if a person is not aware of what type of education they are receiving they will be oppressed inevitably. Not outrightly by those in control of the educational system only but by themselves due to the ignorance on their part of allowing other’s to tell them what to learn and how they should learn it and apply those concepts to their lives inorder to become a “good” citizen.
Are the two meanings of the word “education” as described by both Mann and the Workingmen’s Party still relevant today? Do you think that children are really like wax as Mann suggests or are children either born good or born bad regardless of what they are exposed to in their lives? In relation to Mann’s concept of moral education (religious education) do you think if religion were still taught in schools Columbine and other school killings would ever have occured?
