Against School Response

I was a little confused after reading "Against School" considering the fact that the author is basically bashing every part of institutionalized government funded schooling, when he himself spent 30 years of his adult life as a teacher. I definitely think that our education system has its a downfalls, as he bluntly points out. Public schools especially have become notorious for letting kids "fall through the cracks," and that statement reassures that somewhere along the line we made a mistake or left out a necessity, but it obvious that school is part of this nations foundation and it is a vital part at that. Yes, the majority of the day one could find 17 out of the 20 students unengaged staring off into the colorless walls or mesmerizing floor panels, but if you think about it, there really is no alternative. Boredom is part of everything, whether it be playing a sport, learning a musical instrument, life isn't all about excitement and if you really think about it nothing would be "fun" if there wasn't any boredom or downtime. As much as I would enjoy doing whatever the heck I wanted every single day, I probably wouldn't get too far in our society. School instills qualities that have become critical to survival and success, but that doesn't mean that school is the end all be all. I think in reality Gatto is simply seeking another form of schooling, one which he refers to as an education. Commonly these words are interchangeable but the connotation of them distinctively separates them. I agree with the fact that schooling is only effective to a certain level, and that there comes a time when the passive learning just doesn't work anymore. Active engagement is what occurs outside of the four walls in a class room and those are the kinds of lessons that should be taught between them.
I disagree ultimately with his statement disregarding school in general, but I do believe that adjustments to be made are necessary for public schooling to offer an education rather than just 9 years of one long cram session.