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But it is difficult to get from youth up a right training for virtue if one has not been brought up under right laws; for to live temperately and hardily is not pleasant to most people, especially when they are young. For this reason their nurture and occupations should be fixed by law; for they will not be painful when they have become customary.
-Aristotle
In the United States this is the time of year when people go back to school. As such, it is fitting to have a brief discussion about education.
As most educated folks know, the United States used to be a world leader in K-12 education and higher education. While we still do very well in higher education, our K-12 system is something of a stricken ship. Test scores are low and drop out rates are high. These two factors cover a myriad of problems. However, one thing that rarely gets attention is the fact that a prime function of schools is that of being engines of conformity.
The basic idea is that in addition to providing a basic (though often poor) education, schools also condition children to a certain way of life. Thinking back to my own education, it worked like this: when the kids arrive in the system they are taught to stand in line, to follow a time schedule marked by bells, to sit quietly in rows, to ask permission to even go to the bathroom, to conform to authority, and to do work at the behest of someone else even when they have no interest in it nor see value in it. The model is, as others have claimed, clearly based on getting children accustomed to working for a living. After all, that involves going some place unpleasant, living by a schedule set by someone else, and doing work one cares little for, often in an uncomfortable little chair.
Of course, things have changed a bit since I was a kid. There are now metal detectors and police at many schools. There are zero tolerance policies that result in kids being expelled for having aspirin. There are security cameras, strip searches, vehicle searches, and more. In short, the factory model has been augmented with what can be regarded as the prison, security or police state model. Presumably this is intended to properly conform the children so that they will be ready to serve their corporate masters and be prepared to live in a world in which the threat level is never below Orange.
Given these conditions, it is hardly shocking that the kids are not doing that well. Such conditions are hardly conducive to true learning. Of course, this is not the only problem-there are many, many more factors at work here, such as an obsession with standardized tests, budget problems, and a need for more good teachers.
“serve their corporate masters”
I would have written “government masters.”
Agreed. The private industry seems to be the serfs supporting the nobility of the government.
I think the corporate “nobility” are doing very well, too. But, you are right. We are supporting a number of parasites-both private and public sector.
I think the government side is a little more parasitical considering the government needs the tax payer ‘private sector’ money to support itself.
But a big chunk of the private sector feeds off the public sector. Just check out the government contracts, the subsidies to business, and so on. The parasites move freely between the two, because there really is not much of a wall.
Exactly. But as these contractors dance to the tune of the government, they are effectively an extension of the government.
This is misleading Mike. Yes contractors’ money is not quite as effective as full private industry towards the economy but it is more efficient and less wasteful than the government doing it. That is why there has been a shift towards contractors. Accountability is another issue. A contractor is held to higher accountability than a government worker. I California it took 3 million dollars to try and fire four teachers. Two still have their jobs if I remember correctly. A contractor can be fired much easier and with incredibly less expense if the contractor does something wrong. I think the wall is thicker than you think.
OK, my facts were a bit off but not by much. $3.5 million to get rid of the worst of the worst in LA and they were only partially successful. I’m pretty sure contractors would be a better way to go here. This is part way to the destination from those that are pro ‘Big Government’.
http://www.laweekly.com/content/printVersion/854792/
You can throw that in there, too.
” Presumably this is intended to properly conform the children so that they will be ready to serve their corporate masters and be prepared to live in a world in which the threat level is never below Orange.” These all intrusive school rules more mirror growing government regulation and laws than corporate rules for their employees.
For the first time in my adult life, I feel that we have “rulers” rather than “leaders.”
Now why would I think that? Oh, now I remember.
I’ve generally thought of them as “spenders” and “liars.”
Spenders and liars and crooks, oh my!