Education has been a respected institution in America since the 1800s. In the 1920s, public school education eventually became compulsory, and with it came the need for conformity and specific mandatory classes to ensure that all students could have an equal opportunity for success. Today, schools consist of hundreds of teachers and offer a variety of mandatory classes, from Advance Placement to International Baccalaureate courses. Attendance in mandatory classes ultimately furnishes students with not only education, but also the multiple skills required to fulfill their dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers, or lawyers. Hence, schools must limit individuality and support conformity in order to enable students to gain the key skills, such as communication and organization, needed to become successful adults.
Conformity within schools promotes socialization, which is a fundamental necessity that teaches children how to behave with others, especially when in a group. In Source D, Neil Postman asserts, “You cannot have a democratic -indeed, civilized- community life unless people have learned how to participate in a disciplined way as a part of a group.” The traditional task of encouraging children to work in groups teaches them how to respect different opinions, verbalize their own ideas, and cooperate with one another. I vividly remember the first time I was placed in a group to work on a project in high school. I felt that I could produce better work better alone. However, my group was able to combine our ideas and produce a very well-constructed project. We received an A as our final grade. Yet, the grade was far less important to me than my learning to participate in a group where people could express their own ideas ...
... middle of paper ...
...asically sign in to her classes at any given time in the day. Clearly, supporters of homeschooling fail to realize that the conforming to a conventional school system’s schedule provides students with essential skills that they would not attain individually at home.
Conformity within the American school system is highly beneficial and stipulates both socialization and organization skills through mandatory classes. By providing education, interaction skills, and structure, schools are able to accomplish their main goal of generating accomplished individuals. Although mandatory classes five times a week may sound like a rigid, uniform requirement, it endows students with the skills they need for success in their future jobs and lives. At the end of the day, conformity within the educational system is the very reason why America has produced so many successful adults.