Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, 10th Anniversary Edition Paperback – February 1, 2002

Through a simple expedition through the statics of the modern would one may easily unearth the devastating truth that the American public schooling system is inherently failing when compared to other competing nations throughout the world. This simple fact may even be considered common knowledge throughout the populous of this nation, who tend to rally behind the ideology that such a system must be altered to amend this concern. In order to appease this rally, many have come to the belief that the solution to this concern is the expansion and a more frivolous devotion to the current system will yield the desired result. One of the greatest minds of the modern era claimed that insanity may be deemed the reputation of a past action with the ambition and desire for a differing result. Yet, as a nation we believe that this expansion of such a industry will inherently produce this desired result and conceder this notion to be the efforts of sane experts. This is where the true fruitfulness of thinkers, such as John Gatto through his book Dumbing Us Down, may be revered and studied.Through his book John Gatto attempts to provide a glimpse into the world of education through the perspective lenses of a teacher frustrated with the system through which he receives his paycheck. A casual reader may take his words and find himself/herself appalled by the perceived bashing of the industry which they were raised and through which they subject their children. The way in which he tends to speak slanderously towards the function and operation to the modern family through concepts such as age segregation. Radical as these ideas may be they do provide a new view of the world of education and the mechanisms they employ in order to produce uniform individuals whose very existence servers only the purpose of employment to purchase goods inevitably to ensure the employment of individuals whom they may only, at best, be acquainted with.Skepticism of these concepts are truly difficult to overcome as the common man may view satisfaction and content with the way in which his life has played out to date. He may look to his neighbor and consider him a friend, and view his coworkers and peers in a similarly friendly fashion. But through true and in-depth reflection that same man may realize that these connections are faint at best simply due to the fact that similar situations have occurred in his past and fallen to the way side as his years progressed. I too as a man have the ability to reflect on my short life to date, reviling the connections which I developed with people were overwhelmingly means to achieve a given end even in brotherhood and through bonding. This shocking revelation truly reviles the genius of Gatto in his theories and in his writings. The education system as it currently stands only produces cogs in the greater work force machine which dominates this nation. As Mr. Gatto (2005) states "People who admire our school institution usually admire networking in...they provide mechanical solutions to human problems" (48). This current schooling system is designed and operates with the desire to produce workers to satisfy the nations labor force.As a teacher John Gatto (2005) claims, "I don't teach English; I teach school," (p. 1). This statement exemplifies the travesties which Mr. Gatto perceives as the concern with the current schooling system. That the duty of school is to mold obedient, thoughtless, and duty oriented members of the operating system that is the American work force. Through reading such concepts it is impossible to avoid the feeling of dismay which comes from the concept that one's life serves only the purpose of advancing a whole and not one's own existence. Here lies Gatto's primary concern with the education system, a concept which all should take the time to explore and consider. Is the schooling industry for the betterment of the individual in the classroom or the ease of which said individual may be implemented within the greater scheme of a organization of individuals?The human existence should include the development of true connections with fellow humans as a means through which a personality and history is developed. This idea parallels the words and the workings of Mr. John Gatto, that education is not schooling as education develops a sense of community and permits individuals to succeeded and fail on their own accord. This luxury is not granted within the schooling system presently enacted throughout the American nation. Learning is within small networks of individuals whom only erect short periods of perceived friendships with the only goal of achieving quantifiable success. "The fragmentation caused by excessive networking creates diminished humanity, a sense that our lives are out of control," (Gatto, 2005, p.49)to explore these words is the primary justification for such a reading as John Gatto's Dumbing Us down. For in the current system these ideas and free though is burred in conformity and uniformity.No solution to the education flaws within this nation, or any other educational facet, may be the be all to end all solution. Gatto presents a differing perspective through within one can view and assess the world of education and the required procedure to improve the education of youthful individuals. This book and its concepts and ideas should be explored by any and all who are associated with the education of children, which happens to be all members of the nation. For what cause should this be done? All children are the future of the nation and should be treated with the dignity and respect that one would hope for their own existence. The current mold should be fractured, learning is not at duty but the privilege of all of mankind.

Thirty years of John Taylor Gatto's life has been spent inside the corrupted school system and in his experiences, he has shown a new light on how society and education really impact a child. "Dumbing Us Down" gives a perspective through the eyes of an educator and his experience in the system. Gatto introduces the reader to seven different lessons, that are pertinent to the everyday schoolteacher. He discusses: confusion, class position, indifference, emotional dependency, intellectual dependency, provisional self-esteem, and one can't hide.One of the most important aspects of educating a child is creating meaning, Gatto points out how students seem to be trained in a specific way, in order to move forward to the next step. "Meaning, not disconnected facts, is what sane human beings seek, and education is a set of codes for processing raw date into meaning" (Gatto, 2002, p.3). Gatto discusses the idea of creating, not necessarily a complete understanding for purpose, but rather establishing an acceptance of the confusion and meaning behind the school curriculum. He believes that in order to create purpose and meaning, students must accept their confusion. "I teach the un-relating of everything, an infinite fragmentation the opposite of cohesion; what I do is more related to television programming than to making a scheme of order" (Gatto, 2002, p.4). He points out that school curriculum encourages structure and regimentation, which places students in a pre-determined role within society. Gatto promotes his ideals of teaching, which follows the responsibility of all educators of establishing a connection between emotional and intellectual dependency.Gatto discusses that school curriculum has no valuable objectives or purposes, but to press forward. He believes there is little purpose behind the "content" which is taught to students. "Originality and variety were common currency; our freedom from regimentation made us the miracle of the world; social-class boundaries were relatively easy to cross; our citizenry was marvelously confident, incentive, and able to much for themselves independently, and to think for themselves" (Gatto, 2002, p. 11). Gatto discusses the idea of free-thought for students in school. The school system has become an orderly and specified regimented organization for students to absorb information, relay on a test and move forward to the next level. Gatto believes there is little independency or individualism. The students are not given an opportunity to be different, to embrace that which defines them, instead they are told one way to think and how to arrive at that thought, in their way. According to Gatto, "School, as it was built, is an essential support system for a model of social engineering that condemns most people to be subordinate stones in a pyramid that narrows as it ascends to a terminal of control" (2002, p. 13). Gatto compares the school system to a pyramid and the students are expected to work together in a specified system to be up this pyramid, also known as the economy and to live by societal expectations. Interestingly enough Gatto has agreeable ideals of the school system, as what seems to be a "factory." Students do not seek purpose or value behind their education because they are following a certain curriculum which doesn't allow a lot of flexibility. Students are not given opportunities to embrace and interact with the world around them within the school system. It is essential that schools incorporate past connections in order to create an educational environment for which students can learn from the past and make an effort to avoid the same conflicts and work towards a progressive future.So where do we go from here? How can we change the education system? Gatto believes that the system is based on a lot of corrupted ideals which consist of socioeconomic progression and conformity into society. He discusses progressing through the school system as a "talk show," "We are a land of talkers; we pay talkers the most and admire talkers the most and so our children talk constantly, following the public models of television and schoolteachers. It is very difficult to teach the "basics" anymore because they really aren't basics to the society we've made" (Gatto, 2002, p.24). Gatto makes a point has become a competition on talking. Teachers grade students based on social skills rather than other aspects. Teachers make an assumption: the less you talk, the less you know, this is not true. Intelligence and value in a classroom is based on the outspoken, rather than what can be said on paper. In a factory line, if just go along and never make a sound, you will not be noticed, regardless of your skills, but if you make a lot of noise and draw attention to yourself, you will be favored. Gatto reveals to the reader, the "psychopathic school," with which students are just pushed forward through grades, beyond their individual abilities and strengths. Students are no longer individuals. They are indifferent, rather than curious; they have a poor sense of the future and treat each other harshly. Students have very little opinion, according to Gatto, he taught classrooms full of what to be passive drones.Gatto believes that the modern student lacks value and purpose; the student is not encouraged to be different. Gatto proposes that students are provided with a unique environment to grow and become progressive individuals. He discusses targeting the government and educational system; he believes that teachers and parents should embrace individuality. According to Gatto, "Lives can be controlled by machine education, but they will always fight back with weapons of social pathology: drugs, violence, self-destruction, indifference, and the symptoms I see in the children I teach" (2002, p.30). Regardless of societal standards, human beings are still unique individuals and no school curriculum can subdue that originality.