Joseph Kao Mr.

David Medina Sociology Education Essay 4 April 2010 Education for a Post-Industrial Age America Just a little over 200 years ago, the thought of having a utopian country was deemed impossible. However, in the late 1700s America was founded by our founding fathers in a way many still consider utopian, a country that allows an individual to pursue their dreams and ambitions, a country allowing people from every walks of life, nationalities, and religions to congregate and thrive together. People displayed mutual respect, self confidence, and a communal approval of how the country was to be governed. Even more so, our founding fathers wanted a different form of government, a structure never seen in the history of mankind. The American government was created to be driven by the people and for the people, and this structure still holds true today. Proving the success of this structure, America has managed retain the character and qualities envisioned by our forefathers. If this structure has worked for America, would it work for the American education system? Yes! People living in the post-industrial age, today, need a different kind of education system. We need a system that encourages self initiative, entrepreneurship, and mutual respect. That is why very few select cities in the U.S. have adopted the Sudbury Model, a structure proven to produce better, more well rounded students. After examination of the Sudbury Model, we can see why this method of schooling can help America produce more independent, self-confident, proactive, and initiative driven people who are able to compete against rival countries. The major problems influencing the American education system are the rules and regulations that make schools a dreaded march through hell the first 18-30 years of ones life. Instead of creating a fun, mutually inspiring, and healthy learning environment, education has become a routine. The average student wakes up every morning, gets dressed, eats breakfast, then goes to school. An average school day lasts about 8 hours long, and after that the students arrive home and start homework. Homework usually lasts 2-3 hours sometimes more sometimes less depending on each given day. After that, the student might watch TV, have dinner, and maybe use the computer for recreational reasons. The next day, this routine starts all over again. Education has become a dread instead of a privilege, and the way our education system is operated plays a huge part in causing this issue. Recently, many articles compared our public schools to prisons and correctional facilities. One article that especially appealed to me was titled Ten Reasons Why Americas Public Schools are like Americas Prisons, 1. Both are compulsory. 2. Both are overcrowded as the result of poor public policy. 3. Both are prone to violent insurrection. 4. Both are poorly administered and inefficient. 5. Both assume one solution for every individual. 6. Both are unnecessarily expensive to taxpayers. 7. Both harm American competitiveness by keeping Americans from being productive. 8. Both are institutions often internally ruled by intimidation and violence. 9.

Both are ruled by cliques. 10. Both have tenure regulations not conducive for improvement. (Matt Harrison. www.ThePrometheusInstitute.org) I think the three most detrimental causes resulting in our inefficient education system are 1, 7, and 10. Reason #1 tells us that schools and prisons alike are compulsory, meaning it is required. And because many other pieces to life such as acquiring a license, or job require an education, therefore a person cannot omit school. Reason #7 is perhaps the most significant in our schools today. With the lack of interest, routine classes, and prison-like atmospheres, schools today do not encourage the initiative to learn and pursuit of excellence, and keep creative students from reaching his or her full potential. Reason #10 is true because many teachers with tenures do not need to teach, or even care about the students because either way they receive their paycheck, causing a chain effect, the teachers do not teach with full potential, and the students do not learn to their full potential. Because of this issue, America has produced many emotionally, socially, and intellectually inadequate individuals. Is there a solution? Once again the answer is, Yes! The post-industrial American education system needs schools that allow diversity, encourage creativity, entrepreneurship, and initiative, while implanting our cultural principles, mutual tolerance and respect. Luckily, we do not need to create a new system like our forefathers did, there is already a model that should be adapted by all public schools, and that is the Sudbury Model. The Sudbury Model originated from a school named the Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts. This school is unique because of its de-emphasis of classes, mixed ages, and democratic administration. In the school there are no classes, only rooms where students of mixed ages with similar interests congregate and discuss. The mixture of age groups encourages mutual respect, equalization, leadership, and team effort. And with the democratic administration, every student has a vote on how the school should be run including hiring and firing teachers. Parents are rarely involved in on-site school activities. A regular day on a Sudbury School has approximately the same hours as public schools, however since there are no classes the students are allowed to do whatever they please. They are self driven to learn, to explore, and to speculate. This system also encourages an incredible amount of self understanding, helping the student to know his or her strengths, weaknesses, and interests, allowing him/her to decide and plan a career. And because everyone is unique and has different goals in life, the Sudbury Model allows those who want to work in agriculture, the freedom of not learning complicated math or philosophical issues, and someone who wants to work in the Biology field the optional choice of learning hospitality. I believe the Sudbury Model should be taken as our education system, especially in the post-industrial age. Then everyone would be able to do what was meant for them and the world would be a better place. Many of you probably think Im another one of those utopians, dreaming the impossible, well let me just remind you, our forefathers created a government that was deemed impossible and molded this country to the America we live in today. Similarly, all the education system needs is a little push, a wakeup call, and hopefully, America will once again produce emotionally, socially, and intellectually competent individuals who passionately pursue excellence, and become active members of a cutting-edge elite. Thank You