Educational Reform

2222 Words5 Pages

Educational Reform

The problems that plague the modern-day educational system invoke tremendous discussion in this country, as do the possibilities of bringing reform to that ailing system. Truly, it is this very aspect of education that causes considerable debate amongst the social and political settings today. Jon Spayde, Mike Rose, bell hooks, and Jeffrey Hart all have voiced adamant opinions about education, its appropriate areas of emphasis, and also the role that society plays. It remains interesting to note that, amidst countless vocalizations and opinions, very little about this complex topic can be agreed on. Not often argued, however, is the fact that society indeed has a profound effect on education. Considering that this aura of influence does not show any signs of fading, the issue at hand is vital to the growth and development of a new generation of students. By comparing and contrasting the most convincing opinions and observations, I hope to find a well-rounded picture of this contemporary enigma.

Jon Spayde's "Learning in the Key of Life" heavily contemplates the realities that face schoolchildren's upbringing. Spayde holds a valuable insight that children are not merely educated with what they learn in school. Rather, every moment involves some sort of learning; Spayde actually pleads with society to recognize everyday learning's importance in this equation. For he reasons that, in a clustered and complex society, it is no wonder that some degree of confusion and intellectual chaos ensues (60). Schools seem to push students speedily through their education, force-feeding the concepts of "technology" that will be, supposedly, essential to their survival. This technology continually and consisten...

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...d hopeful encouragement. In the end, no single manner of reform is likely; rather, a combination of efforts between school policy and society's focus will reap the most desirable result.

Works Cited

Hart, Jeffrey. "How to Get a College Education." The Presence of Others. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 126-132.

hooks, bell. "Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education." The Presence of Others. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J.

Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 93-103.

Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston:

Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 105-108.

Spayde, Jon. "Learning in the Key of Life." The Presence of Others. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston:

Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 58-64.

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