Against School by John Taylor Gatto

John Taylor Gatto has a good point about how school systems are messed up, but I feel that in order for someone to become above average they have to realize it for themselves, and not just depend on a teacher to teach them. I have always thought that I become who I want to be, whether I am lazy and don't do what I have to in order to fulfill my dreams or not is up to me.

I realize that many people take to home schooling and I can see its place in society. I come from a community where there are a significant number of home schooled children. Growing up I could see the difference in my friends that were home schooled and those that weren't. I saw them struggling with reading, writing, and arithmatic. Also they were very socially backward because they weren't able to grow with other children and realize how to make good friends. I saw them grow and I witnessed as many of them destroyed their lives by choosing things that would hurt them. No I'm not saying that all of them did this, but that was what I witnessed and I always wondered why parents would do that to their children.

Our public system may not be the best, but it is the best alternative.