Education, Enlightenment, and School Story

A call to parents and students to exercise agency over education

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

By N. Invictus (an anonymous Canadian teacher)

Where do I begin 

To tell the story of how screwed the schools can be, 

The sugar-coated version of its disastrous decree, 

The bitter truth behind their intended history, 

Where do I start 

(original song “Love Story” by Andy Williams- Parody by N. Invictus) 

In my June 1/2023 article "Every Child Matters, or Do They," I briefly mentioned my regret of becoming an educator once I gained a deeper understanding of what schools truly represent, but I did not elaborate on it. (“If I had known what I later discovered through my own studies on the history and philosophy of education, I would have found it morally objectionable to become a teacher- that is another story in itself.”) Perhaps now is the time to delve into these mixed feelings of guilt and responsibility that have burdened me for about two decades. While I acknowledge that my personal reflections and emotions may not hold great significance to every reader, they can provide some insight into the dilemmas parents face and the challenges they must navigate. They also might open the eyes and minds of the teachers who were never taught the history and philosophy of education as it does not seem to be a practice the teacher’s college has entertained since 1988. 

Similar to Shannon B Douglas- as he refers to it in his June 11/2023 weekly report on the Canadian Gender Wars-, during my teenage life I deeply resonated with Pink Floyd's "Hey Teachers, Leave Them Kids Alone." In fact, I was about to write an article with the same topic when Shannon beat me to it! The music's rhythm and the power of its lyrics provided an outlet for my emotions. In my perspective, those emotions were suppressed by various circumstances such as revolution, war, broken home, dictatorship, and more. They also represented a voice of freedom and a glimmer of hope. The fact that this song could be performed in the Western world without fear of punishment, imprisonment, or execution, as is customary in some countries, indicated progress or a potential future resolution of educational dogmas. From my standpoint, the grass seemed greener. I was wrong- again! In reality, while the grass is indeed greener, it may not be as appetizing nor as easily digestible, as the Western world encompasses more than fifty shades of green, everything is on a spectrum, not to mention how fluid the solid things can be! 

Education, Enlightenment, and School Story 

Education can be defined as the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes through various forms of learning. It aims to foster intellectual, social, emotional and physical development, equipping individuals with the tools and abilities needed to understand the world, engage in critical thinking, solve problems, communicate effectively, and contribute positively to society. Or we wish. 

In addition to informal education, schools and post-secondary institutions typically provide the opportunity for formal education, making them the first and foremost source for shaping the population into the mould of the state's choice. Schools were not about raising autonomous, open-minded individuals. While it is true that many notable men and women are the result of a great education, that is due to the individuals who run the schools, programs, or classes, not the stated purpose of the nation-wide education system. In any system, great men and women have the power to do what is right and avoid doing wrong, as we see in many sectors of society, and we are grateful for the former. Even though a true education is not the intended outcome of schooling, it is reasonable to conclude that, regardless of the intended purpose of schools, no matter how demonic and destructive a system may be, it is the people who shape and create the system and who are ultimately responsible for its outcome. There are no excuses. 

In contrast, the enlightenment can be defined as a philosophical and intellectual movement that emphasizes reason, logic, and individualism as essential elements for human progress and societal development. The enlightenment challenged traditional authority, superstition, and dogma, advocating for rationality, scientific inquiry, and human rights. It promoted ideas such as freedom of thought, equality, separation of church and state, and the pursuit of knowledge and truth. The enlightenment sought to liberate individuals from ignorance and oppression, encouraging critical thinking, tolerance, and the advancement of human civilization through the application of reason and knowledge. A far more appealing outcome is to be enlightened rather than educated, something schools, by default, fail to accomplish. 

In his book "The Underground History of American Education," published in 2000, John Taylor Gatto quotes an executive director of the National Education Association who announced that his organization expected "to accomplish by education what dictators in Europe are seeking to do by compulsion and force." If you are not already familiar with J. T. Gatto, he was an award-winning educator, author, and critic of education's ideology, history, and its consequences, some of which we are paying a hefty price. 

The oldest tricks in the book that have lasted as long as time are at play. How do you control a population? You condition them to be controlled from a very young age. You make them weak, dependent, incompetent, numb, narcissistic, paranoid, addicted, and scared. You divide them. How do you destroy a nation? You destroy its best resource and investment: its children. How do you accomplish that without an invasion or even without lifting a finger? You destroy the children through education. Even better, you let them do it to themselves. You let it rot from within. You school them! It may be argued that Russia and China can sit back and relax, as schools fulfil their intended purpose of creating subjects who align with the desires and doctrines of the state, they fail to foster reason, logic, freedom of thought, equality of opportunity, and a sense of agency and autonomy. Historically, this meant producing obedient soldiers, followed by obedient workers, and later obedient consumers. Presently, the focus appears to be on fostering obedient ideologues, obedient social justice warriors, and obedient individuals preoccupied with self-identification. Those whose spirit is still alive, who can’t or won’t sit still, who test the waters will get into trouble, get wet, and may even drown. 

It is reasonable to argue that if an education system is funded by the state, it can be expected that it will be designed to address the needs of the state and, in turn, the needs of society. The reality is that nations were in need of soldiers, and later on workers, and individuals directly benefit from being part of that nation and being under the rule of the state. This appears to be a fair trade-off as long as obedience is not a mandatory aspect of the deal. One may even convince oneself that with economic development and the expansion of production, nations are in dire need of obedient consumers. However, when it comes to children, I find the latter justification morally deplorable. Our current era, with its wicked approach, seems to me to be the final blow to humanity. Need I say more? 

“Education was to be geared to the needs of the state, not the individual '' as John Abbott says in Overschooled but Undereducated, a book published in 2010 and which I highly recommend to both parents and teachers. This book provides valuable insights on the current state of education. In Chapter One, titled "Reviewing the Whole Story in Fewer than 2500 Words," it states: "Educational administrators saw only one solution to the problem: extend the duration of adolescents' schooling and overwhelm them with so much studying that they wouldn't have the time or energy to question what an adult society was truly doing to them." It was anticipated that by the age of 22 or 23, the next generation of young individuals would have been "broken in”. Simply put, conditioned and controlled! 

Once I had exhausted my reading by borrowing as many books about education (including homeschooling, unschooling, deschooling,) as possible from the library, I was already deeply involved in my career as an educator, however, I was one of those whose spirit was still alive and could dare test the waters. After all, I am a good swimmer, literally! I picked up the battle of keeping my post, resisting the encroachment of ideologies and safeguarding my students' autonomy and agency while they are under my wings, and trying to avoid getting into significant trouble. I would be of no use to the students if I were fired. Besides, who knew what the next teacher would be like? An obedient something? No thank you! (How I handled my own children’s education? That is another story in itself!) I recall telling my students that if I had known what school was all about, I would not have become a teacher. To this, they responded, "We are glad you did not know!", a heartening response which I continue to receive. It also was evidence that the students, young and immature as they were, could distinguish between a teacher who is carelessly brainwashing them through “teaching” from one who mentors them to be enlightened. And their ability to discern means hope. 

In the pathological darkness of our times, where big lies are being repeated incessantly like a broken record, those who dare to point out the truth, that the emperor is naked, will face consequences such as losing their livelihood. Ironically, the ones who have the potential to restore sanity may very well be the ones we are striving to protect from this prevailing insanity! Our heroes may as well be the students who recognize the absurdity of adult behaviour and fight back using ridicule, manipulation, satire, and other means such as simply confronting the teachers and schools who are pushing their supernatural religion on them. An example is the widely listened-to audio recording of the teacher in the UK berating the student who questioned a classmate's claim of identifying as a cat. (Google it, it is still out there!) A few of my students simply shrug their shoulders and dismiss these top-down and push-down doctrines as "just insane politics," which they might very well be. 

In my experience, students tend to remember stories more than the lessons themselves. Therefore, I make it a point to connect almost everything I want them to remember (which is essentially everything) to a story. Some time ago, I was sharing a life story to illustrate a teaching point. The story revolved around recognizing that a camel does not possess a horn. Then, two of my grade 11 students posed an intriguing question: "What if the camel identifies itself as a camel with a horn?" They kept going at it, making fun of the idea. They were expressing their resistance in their own manner, making it clear that they didn't believe in such nonsense and prompting me to chime in. I simply replied by stating that I am not permitted to express my personal opinion. Which is the truth. However, they are bright enough to read between the lines. Once again, I implore teachers to remember that all they need to do is refrain from lying and respect the students’ freedom of thought and expression. This will have a significant impact, as truth has the power to prevail and liberate us. 

Our education system has become increasingly expensive, while the value of a high school diploma has steadily declined. Our high school graduates are less competent and more dependent. Despite all the advancements in science and technology, based on my day-to-day interactions with young students, it is disheartening to observe that schools have effectively neglected the educational and enlightening aspects that once may have been their core purpose. 

An analysis of the educational level needed to understand the language and syntax of men hoping to be elected presidents of the United States, showed 

● In 1858, Abraham Lincoln spoke at an 11.2 grade level during his campaign, assuming that his audience could comprehend at the level of an eighteen-year-old who attended a community schoolhouse. 

● In 1960, both Richard Nixon and John Kennedy spoke at a grade 10 level. ● In 2000, George W. Bush spoke at a grade 6.7 level, while Al Gore spoke at a grade 7.9 level. (Overschooled but undereducated) 

It is possible that Canadian audiences have higher language proficiency. However, the old technical textbooks I have retained in my classroom serve as evidence of the decline in standards over time. If I were to teach the material from these books to my present-day classes, a significant number of students would likely struggle and potentially fail the course. It is important to clarify that the content itself is not outdated; on the contrary, most of it is now being taught at the college level. While the teacher's union and school boards may seem to attribute the inefficiency and low level of language and math skills among students to government funding, technology issues and all sorts of reasons. The truth is that to effectively teach these two crucial subjects, all that is needed are good books (if they have not been destroyed yet- referring to June 30/23 article Canada’s Book Burning temperature is far lower than Fahrenheit 451), pencil and paper, and a competent teacher who has been granted the autonomy to manage his/her classroom and has the integrity to do so. 

Having said that, it is crucial to acknowledge that schools can only reach the level of expectations set by their communities. Addressing issues such as mediocrity, grade inflation, lack of discipline, and inappropriate behavior requires the support and collaboration of parents with their child's school. Unfortunately, times have changed, and some parents perceive teachers as adversaries whom they must shield their children from. Regrettably, there is some truth to this perception. And as things are getting even more complicated in these mad times where secrets are kept from parents, religious beliefs are disregarded, victimhood is promoted and competency is punished the trusted bond between parents and their children’s teacher has become fragile, to say the least. 

Although there are alternatives to learning besides schooling, another story in itself and worth delving into, we live in societies where the care and education of children are largely reliant on sending them to school. I urge parents of all creeds and cultures to step up, take a stance, and speak out. Your son and daughter will not get a second chance at their childhood and youth. The saying goes that things have to get worse before they get better. However, I do not believe this is necessarily true, as it depends on how we define "worse" and "better." Additionally, I have lived a life that deteriorated to such an extent that the only path to improvement was to distance myself from it. I am not convinced that there is a better place to move to, as it seems the entire Western world, which was and continues to be the hope of many other nations, has gone mad. Moreover, when it concerns children, are we willing to allow things to deteriorate even further before taking action? To what extent? 

Parents, get involved, identify the teachers and staff that you may be able to trust. This is not difficult, starting off, pay attention to their signature. There are three types. Some have voluntarily added their pronouns, some have gone beyond that and have voluntarily added plural pronouns to their singular pronouns, and some simply have signed with their name. Make your pick, connect with the teacher, and the rest will follow. 

How long will this last 

Will parents wake up to the price they have to pay 

The answer is clear so this is what I’d like to say 

Until we do this keep your kids as far away 

Yes we must dare 

( original song “Love Story” by Andy Williams- Parody by N. Invictus)

___

Thanks for reading. For more from this author read, Oh! Canada, truly not strong nor free!

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