I think America put the wrong emphasis on education. For example, the text states that “the emphasis on education to serve economic goals shaped the development of the modern high school” (237). Going to school by means of having a leg up when you apply for jobs is not the way it should be. The reason we have such low literacy and academic rates is because some people do not value work as much as other countries. Going to school does make getting a job easier, but people should be learning for the betterment of themselves, not because it will act as a leverage for future career opportunities. I think America is setting up a bad example for children because 1) schools started out as means of teaching morals, not so much educating on academics, 2) schools were created to get children off the streets and to lower crime rates, and 3) higher education is used as a tool for jobs in the future. The purpose of school is for education, but it seems that now, people only see education as a phase in life they have to get through in order to be at a certain level in society. Ranking students and people according to their educational level is wrong and does not show anything. The correspondence of education and economic wealth shows that our society only values education because of money.
Also, I feel that the implementation of extracurricular activities was a great idea but now that schools are being underfunded, those are the first programs to be eliminated. “The other organizations making up extracurricular activities were justified as contributing to the unification of the school and the preparation of the students for participation in a cooperative democracy” (243). Non-academic activities actually help students do better in school, and like the quote says, it provides unity. When students get time to know each other away from the learning environment, such as the classroom, it gives them time to build bonds, thus building connections. And in my opinion, networking is more important that academics. Even in college, there are so many clubs and organizations for students to join, because in the end, the people you know are the ones who can help you achieve in the future. Academics is important, but so is creating a network. How can we help find a balance between work and play to help ensure the best results for students? and how can the government help change the value of education for children so that we can appreciate education?
