Gatto Summary- Be Your Own Master

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According to American schools’ official mission statements, public school is designed not only to prepare children for both academic achievements and social skills, but also to cultivate an ethical citizenship. However, John Taylor Gatto, an experienced and award-winning educator, does not give much credit to public schooling. In his article “Against School,” published in 2003 in Harper’s magazine, Gatto argues that instead of completing these goals, public school is actually stifling the youngest generation. In this article, Gatto begins by stating that boredom is a significant issue in the American schooling system. Students think they are more capable than the work they are assigned, and that teachers are less capable than they are supposed to be. While teachers, on the other hand, cannot stand the rude and grades-aiming students either. Both teachers and students impute blame to each other. Then Gatto admitted that he was once one of the boring and querulous people by telling an unforgettable and valuable experience with his grandfather, from whom he learned that each individual is responsible for entertaining and instructing himself. Otherwise, one would be considered immature and untrustworthy. After becoming a teacher later, Gatto managed to preach this sermon to his students as well. Not only is boredom a big issue, but Gatto also complicates matters further when he argues, “Do we really need school?” (143). With that said, he doubts the value and the need of compulsory routine schooling, which, in his opinion, has stifled the creativity, critical thinking and diversity of characteristics of each individual. To clarify this idea, Gatto brings up an interesting point when he writes what kids really need is to “take an education rather than receive a schooling” (143). Obviously, Gatto distinguishes active, engagement- and

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