Analysis Of Gatto's The Psychopathic School

In The Psychopathic School, Gatto claims that the modern education is outdated and meaningless, which limits the development of students. Schools should reform the curricula and pay attention to self-knowledge to improve education quality. Abstractions such as schooling and televisions cost students’ too much time, which has effects on their personalities. My lens is chosen from Gatto’s The Psychopathic School, and indicates that students become less independent and curious as a result of modern education.

Rodriguez claims that although he has made huge success on academy, he is seperated from his family by schooling. His behavior and thoughts are entirely changed and became totally different from his family members after he went to school. From his experience, he depended more on his teachers. He even adored his grammar teacher to the point of idolatry “by imitating their accents, using their diction, trusting their every direction” (601). His behavior is in line with Gatto’s opinion that the lack of independence is a common problem among students.

On the one hand, individual variation makes it is impossible for our modern education to satisfy everyone’s need. On the other hand, schools cost students’ free time so that even though they want to develop their hobbies they may not have much free time to do it. The failure of free self-development matches Gatto’s claim that schools have ignored the importance of self-knowledge.

Gatto suggests a solution about the situation that schools have limited students’ self-development. He points out that there are a few factors that contribute to the reform of our education system, such as community service and independent study. And the most important step is “to include family as the main engine of education”(8). He believes that only by letting families be a role in school study can the system problem be effectively