The Underground History of American Education is the third book by John Taylor Gatto that we have reviewed (Dumbing Us Down and A Different Kind of Teacher being the other two). This book is by far the longest and most in-depth of the three books and represents a well-researched and acutely-argued contribution to the debate about modern compulsory schooling.
Instead of being merely an overview of some of the ideas that have made their way into the school system, Gatto's 400+ page, textbook sized book begins with a look at ancient philosophies, such as the Egyptians and Greeks, and also examines the educational backgrounds of the founding fathers of America. He sees our current school system as Egyptian in nature, with a predetermined place for every citizen and learning geared towards that position. Future factory workers will be given only as much education as they need to listen to superiors without asking questions, future elites will be encouraged to understand every side of an argument so they can persuade others. Very few, if any, students will be able to rise above their place in life. The founding fathers of our country had little or no |
