Deschooling Society - Education for Social Control

“School is the advertising agency which makes you believe that you need the society as it is.”
– Ivan Illich, “Deschooling Society”

Illich raises a germane point in his quote above. School maintains the social status quo so that people do not question why society is as it is, and who controls it. This is at odds with the concept and meaning of education.

Why is it that regimes burn books? It is because reading sets people free and exposes them to new ideas. We drug our children's minds at school so that they conform and learn not to question. This is why schools are so important to those who control society (the military-industrial-political complex). Schools are needed, not to educate but to control.

This also explains the flak that comes from the establishment when home-schooling is discussed. Home-schooling, deschooling and unschooling all pose a serious threat to the status quo because they turn out engaged and questioning, self motivated learners. I would suggest that any critics reading this post should get out and meet some of these kids. Be prepared to be very scared. These kids are not afraid of adults, do not accept things at face value and are usually not impressed by what conventional society has on offer.

Imagine a generation of children who are not interested in spending hours in front of the TV or playing video games. Who are not exposed to all of the advertising that brainwashes people and contribute to their feelings of inadequacy. How refreshing to talk to young people who are interested and engaged within their communities and families.

They may turn the age...

DK

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The New Illiteracy

Today's quote is from a prescient thinker of the last century, Alvin Toffler. Alvin Toffler is an American writer and futurist, known for his works discussing the digital revolution, communication revolution and technological singularity. Toffler is a former associate editor of Fortune magazine. - sourced from Wikipedia

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

– Alvin Toffler

At the time this was written in the 1970's the pace of change was much slower than it is today. Toffler, as a futurist, was able to forsee that as change increased so would the pace of learning. But the interesting point is not about learning, but rather the unlearning and relearning required to keep pace with technological change. Formal education is not well positioned to react to the disruptive change that is increasingly appearing. In fact the university system as we know it may well disappear in the next 50 years as it loses relevancy to self directed learners, unlearners and relearners. Another influential thinker, also writing in the 1970's, Ivan Illich, visited this theme in his book, Deschooling Society.

Most learning is not the result of instruction. It is rather the result of unhampered participation in a meaningful setting. Most people learn best by being "with it," yet school makes them identify their personal, cognitive growth with elaborate planning and manipulation.”
― Ivan Illich, Deschooling Society

Learning, unlearning and relearning are all best done outside of the constraints of the formal education system.

Your literacy in this age depends on your own self-directed learning.

DK

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