Education For All; Education For None: Part 2 of 3

The idea of education for all, is democratic in its very nature, but the learning that accompanies it, can or cannot be associated with democracy. If, thinking back to your own schooling, you can think of it differently, as something that may not have been centered on learning, but rather on production of knowledge and not as democratically decided, but through a social hierarchy, then that acceptance can lead to something better.

Often times, American society and schooling in society, in general, has decided that education for everybody is a freedom, good idea, inherently equal and democratic. The American Progressive Education Era at the beginning of the 20th Century, did rush in the idea of a schooling that opened doors to all and that organized schooling under a centralized umbrella (although segregation and Jim Crowe laws still kept separation of races).

But, what the American Progressive Education Era did not do, was take into consideration of democratic learning. This includes the idea that learning must happen from the inside-out, rather than only viewing the context shell of education "for all." The difference, is that democratic learning gets to the heart of the matter, while democratic education concentrates itself with the skin.

The parts that make up the sum, are, if not more so, at least equally, as important as the sum itself. Education for all is simply looking at the fact that all participants are welcomed, but it creates a learning and education for none. The lack of details, the hypocrisy, and the money, pushed against students, teachers, and up the administrative latter do not benefit any in the educational sector and does far more harm then what could and should be created.

Use whatever phrase you will. Go ahead and say, that we flip the system on its head, we take the idea of democratic education and turn it inside-out, we would ruin a system that all individuals are fiercely locally loyal to but who criticize immensely nationally.

All I know is, the current ideology that education for all is best, is not recognizing the lack of learning for everybody.

Stay tuned for the next and final installment....

Education For All, Education For None: 1 of 3

When we, as a society, decided that something is necessary for the common good of the people,
do we take time to analyze and critically examine whether it is good or not? Sure, we elect officials to represent us, but do we ever represent ourselves?

Education is commonly upheld as the ultimate common good, almost on all levels of society, we conclude that education is a necessity. Almost always, Education is on the top ten list of the public's desires (and or concerns) for every election season, yet we rarely take personal responsibility for the education system in America. Sure, if our children are in school, we focus in on that school, maybe on the district if something devastating is about to impact us personally, but what about the context?

Education for all = democracy, right? All should be afforded the opportunity to learn, the elite class should not have an advantage in the areas of learning, teaching, and schooling....right? And, we personally, received a GREAT education.....right? You say, others did not? Well THEY must have done something wrong........right?

What if the question was purposed that education for all did not democratize education for the better, but rather simply institutionalized how we learn? Would you still say that your education experience was GREAT, that it was the right way to have learned?

What if what passes for a democratization of education was cloaked in darkness, with a history as tainted, checkered, and marred as our constitution, immigration, and foreign policy? What IF, education for all actually meant, education for none...

Stay tuned for the next post....