Essay On Hidden Curriculum

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Hidden curriculum essay
How well do you think you know what your children are being taught in today’s school system? Maybe you did not know there is a hidden curriculum which categorizes children into special positions to either be the future working class or the new CEO of some corporation. Jean Anyon, chairperson of the Department of Education at Rutgers University describes in her article, “From Social Class and The Hidden Curriculum of Work,” the different teaching methods, philosophies of education and preparation needed to occupy a particular spot in the society. She does this by observing five schools from different communities located in New Jersey. When observing schools from one community to another, we find that these hidden curriculums …show more content…

Lower and middle class schools are taught to get the right answer by following directions and rules, with little or no creative decision making. They are evaluated according to whether the child learned the right steps and by what is in the text books or booklets. In addition, upper middle affluent class children get to be creative while expressing ideas and concepts. This class is evaluated by the quality of expression and for the appropriateness of its concepts on the task. On the contrary, executive elite students develop analytical intellectual powers, they reason through a problem to produce intellectual products, which leads them to be more creative. Moreover, children conceptualize rules and apply them in solving a problem. They had critical evaluation, research reports, essays and experimental analysis. According to Anyon, “schoolwork helps one to achieve, to excel, to prepare in life,” the main purpose of education of the executive elite class is to be prepared for what comes after students are done with school. The endless loop of the hidden curriculum in the different districts prepares students for their segregated future jobs, and they will be either labor force or top …show more content…

America is based on this idea of “the land of the free,” but just how free are we if children in our society cannot grow up to be who they what to be. Anyon describes how students are categorized by social class, income, parent’s occupation and background characteristics. These variables affect how these children are receiving their education. Being categorized by your current social level and how children have to face the fixed school system to become the future workforce is a shocking discovery. We should bring to light this hidden curriculum that benefits a small percentage of the population in order to bring about change and give our children a chance to be whoever they

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