End of Education reaction paper- Alfie Tutt

End of Education reaction paper

Neil Postman, in his book End of Education sheds light on the multiple issues with public schools, especially since public schools lack a diverse curriculum, when in fact schools in the 21^st century are getting increasingly diverse. Neil Postman accurately explains the need for information about different cultures in public schools, as well as the importance of learning about religious issues and time periods previously looked down upon.

Modern public schools create a society, which is lacking in knowledge of the diversity within the community.  Neil Postman highlights the lack of diversity taught in schools when America itself is a very diverse country. In fact the most recent US census showed that by the year 2043 over half the population could be Hispanic. This seems bizarre that for such a diverse country the understanding of different cultures seems to be seriously lacking in our curriculum. Postman explains that in an average  “American classroom, the student population will embody several different traditions” (Postman 159). Postman further shows that while it may be uncomfortable for students to learn about different cultures, it has the ability to help students in the future when approaching people of different cultures. Also it helps students who choose to travel abroad as they will be able to learn the customs of that society. Unfortunately public schools do not offer any of what Postman is advocating for and therefor have aimed to create a society based on true American spirit and failed miserably by not showing and teaching what makes America great, which is not the great level a patriotism, but the mix of different ethnicities and cultures currently in the country. Instead the population has seen to be uneducated on other countries and customs of those countries.

Public schools also lack the teaching of religious subjects and leave vital information out of the curriculum, just because it is controversial. Therefor when a student goes out into the real world they lack vital knowledge about the past, meaning public schools are creating a culturally unaware society. Unless going to a religious schools, current public schools in the US lack the teaching of other religions, which plays huge importance with a lack of political awareness of the students. Because most of the time, students don’t get the whole picture but instead few one groups actions as a whole religions actions, when instead it is only a minor portion of that religion that agree with what has been done. An excellent example can come from straight after the 9/11 attacks when unaware students were all to quick to call all Muslims terrorists when that statement is anything but true. Public schools also try to go on the safe side of caution, meaning subjects such as Slavery or Eurocentric issues are not covered in class, when they really should be because they teach students about how people used to think, and give students an incite into the future as well. Neil Postman also accurately presents the need for information about different religions and time periods that were previously not taught in school. Postman stresses that even though the Eurocentric time period is sometimes looked down on for its suppression of certain groups of people, US students should still study the topic. Studying the topic is important because to go forward we must look back into our past, and learn from our past mistakes, and how they were made in order to move forward. Furthermore, students need to learn about different religions to improve their global understanding and be able to make a contribution to the world when they are older. Postman believes that the reasons for studying religions are that “ so much of our painting, music, architecture, literature and science are intertwined with religion”(152 Postman). Postman expresses how religion has resulted in dramatic changes in Human history, whether it is challenging religion such as Copernicus did when showing an alternative theory to the Church’s belief that everything revolves around the sun, or the early writings of Islamic scripts, as well as the development of mathematics in the Middle East. Postman also adds that another reason for emphasis on religious education is that all great religions are stories that tell us about different cultures and places, giving us a greater understanding of how the world came to be how it is today.

Public school’s currently create culturally unaware while leaving key details out of the curriculum. Postman, brings up vital points about areas of education in the United States that are severely lacking, creating what is a diverse America into one which can not see past its own American dream.

Work Cited:

Postman, Neil. The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. New York: Vintage, 1996. Print.