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Why kids hate school: sociologists explore issue in new book
(18 Comments)ARLINGTON - Evidence abounds to indicate the United States is lagging behind other advanced-industrial nations in educational achievement, despite massive infusions of resources in technological, science and math education. Over the past decade, the country has resorted to standardized testing and fact-based education to ensure children learn basic math, reading and writing skills.
But University of Texas at Arlington Sociology Professors Ben Agger and Beth Anne Shelton, say the problem of ineffective education cannot be remedied by more math courses and rounds of educational testing. Agger and Shelton, co-authors of a book titled, "I Hate School: Why American Kids are Turned Off Learning," contend that by the time American students are in junior high and high school, they hate school and cannot wait to finish an acceptable terminal level of education and establish careers and families, mimicking the suburban lifestyles of their parents.
"They are anti-intellectual," Agger said. "Instead of reading, they are passive consumers of electronic entertainment. They don't watch the news or follow politics. They are immersed in the instantaneity of now, experienced online."
Bookstores are declining, as are newspapers, and the sociologists fear the United States is producing a conformist, vacuous generation.
"Not because we have failed to invest sufficiently in education," Shelton said. "We are failing to spark the imagination of children to enable them to seek their muse and cherish the life of the mind."
The book looks at why kids learn to hate school and turn their back on intellectual and cultural pursuits, making a strong case that it is not enough to blame television and other distractions.
"Our schools are failing because they are warehouses and work houses. They verge on penal colonies, where teachers are wardens and children are inmates. Children constitute a pre-labor force, tasked with producing homework instead of goods and services," Shelton said.
While she admits that backpacks stuffed with homework certainly teach students the Puritan virtue of diligence, she says it also diverts them from intellectual and physical play.
Agger agrees, saying "School has become a job and childhood merely a preparation for busy adulthood."
The authors explore topics like time-use in schools; the confinement and physical disciplining of young bodies as they carry backpacks and sit at cramped desks; the stress on fine motor skills; the performance principle and grading; the performance principle and testing; the disunity of mind and body; vocationalism; a fetish of facts and factoids; rote learning and regurgitation; worksheet-driven learning; classroom authoritarianism and competitive school sports.
Committed to helping kids like school and love learning, Shelton and Agger consider alternative arrangements and styles of education, drawing on movements like anti-schooling, free schools and homeschooling. They analyze the school day and what happens at, and after, school. They look at curriculum, grading, testing, classroom teaching, discipline, the roles of play and exercise and even school food.
The sociologists, who are married to each other and parents themselves, assert it is not enough to tinker with curricula and teacher training. They see a need to start over, building from the ground up. In their ideal school, grading and testing would be minimized and teachers would not be cops or dictators. Schools would have fewer desks and more open space. Each day would start with an hour of exercise, not the dreaded rope climbing but sport as play, which would include teachers. Homework would be minimized, as real teaching and dialogue fill the day
Formulaic writing would be replaced by essaying, journaling and thought pieces. Standardized tests would be replaced with portfolios of best work and art. There would actually be more art and less math. And math would be taught philosophically, like science.
"The litmus test of all this is simple," Agger says. "Are kids excited to get up in the morning and go to school?"
The book is being published by Lexington, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield, with the release date to be announced.
Media contact: Sue Stevens, (817) 272-3317, sstevens@uta.edu
Posted by: SoulRiser
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Posted in: News by NewsBot on February 16, 2009 @ 12:00 AMTags: Homeschooling, School
18 Responses to “Why kids hate school: sociologists explore issue in new book”
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You probably don't know Brazil schools. Man, they are worst than you imagine! The teachers don't care if you know or not, just fuck you up whenever they can. They "teach" only stupid things and just talk about the fucking college entrance exams. I'm complete pissed off and i'm still in the first year. Great, isn't it? You can't breath, you can't say your opinions. Freedom of Expression, where are you?
Oh, yeah. The public schools in this county are like jungles. Think about it.
This is perfect. Of course you want children to start out with an hour of exercise because it will improve brain function and physical fitness.
school sucks when the classes are boring but when there not then they could be fun to bad all classes suck
I hate school because I'm much more interested in art and don't see the purpose in doing all this work in other subjects I don't care about and won't help me in the career I want. I don't put much effort because I don't care, not because I'm just plain lazy! I work very hard on the things I DO care about and wish that the school system didn't force you to study things against your will.
my son he 9..hate school.and home work..he has tutor on tusday...my son has meds..add...what can i do for him at this age...he can be good boy when his dad not round..and will sitt with m and do is home work...all he what to do is play games morring to night...any way i hope some one can help with with and how i can make it fun home work time...and tack the games way.. ty so much for the help...
Well...
NO SHIT, SHERLOCK.
The fact is, the focus is on testing. Not learning.
Regurgitation of factoids.
Not even fun factoids or anything interesting.
Why did it take them years to look into this?
lol sorry about some of the spelling im typing at school and i have to type fast because of the teachers and im not looking at the screen
Posted by:
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dustyn sedberry
(dustyn92 AT hotmail DOT com )
2 March 2009
Comments:
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its not that i hate school im just hating the fact that its so long wasting my time during the day. plus during my long day at school i like using fame sites and now i cant because the schools block all of the proxies that allow me to do so. someone plz help me get around this?
Haha...Sorry...for some reason your post is kinda funny...but the proxy is very hard to get around because you need a teacher to help you get past it. And everyone knows that is suicide talking to those stupid bitches. I hope you ment "game" sites, and I found that I can find one game that works that has links to several other games. Search up Avalanche Game on Google and click on every link until you get to a jumping marshmallow game :P. The game is pretty fun when your at school and, there are links to a helicopter game and something else. It's what I do at school.
and yes that has nothing to do with this "book" or w/e...i honestly dont give a shit i just dont wanna be bored anymore...the stuff they give me in school is so easy kinda to easy and they expect me to do it over and over again.....someone please comment on my comment if you understand what im talking about
its not that i hate school im just hating the fact that its so long wasting my time during the day. plus during my long day at school i like using fame sites and now i cant because the schools block all of the proxies that allow me to do so. someone plz help me get around this?
Not sure about you guys, but I feel a bit insulted, and so should a lot of people. John Taylor Gatto's been saying this for YEARS and not a damn one of these so-called "experts" paid him any mind.
*wasn't mandatory
An hour of sports? Maybe that would be ok if it was mandatory, but certainly that shouldn't be required.
I like the principle. I disagree with some specifics, such as the downscaling of math or starting with an hour of sports, but the principle is key. I just wished it stressed choice more.
I'm definitely going to be buying this book when it is out.
Looks interesting..
That's what i always thought about this current generation they're all conformist's!
In no other generation did we ever have this. But i never really thought it was because they had everything done for them.
wowowow, it's so wonderful to see adults who really know what they're talking about and are willing to do something drastic about what they believe in. I hope they start a school for kids in their area somehow, that would be amazing.