The Education system and Freedom of thought.

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This Is a post by a student about freedom of speach.


SPEECH of the Student
Published: Thursday, June 22, 2006
Updated: Thursday, June 22, 2006

Four years ago, we gathered here for an education. Today marks a milestone in that pursuit, a culmination of four years of learning, growth and shared memories. At such times, it is appropriate to reflect on years past, to examine what we have done and what we have learned. Today I am charged with that difficult task, and I would like to thank the school for the opportunity to stand before my peers and reflect on our time together.

Education can be defined a number of different ways. For me, it is the product of human curiosity. Intellectual thought, as far as I can tell, is nothing but the asking and answering of questions. In my reflection, however, and I have reflected on this a great deal, I found that many of life’s most important questions are ignored here. What is the right way to live? What is the ideal society? What principles should guide my behavior? What is success, what is failure? Is there a creator, and if so, should we look to it for guidance? These are often dismissed as questions of religion, but religion is not something opposed to rationality, it simply seeks to answer such questions through faith. The separation of church and state is, of course, important, but it should never be a reason for intellectual submission or suppression of any kind.
Ethics — it is what defines us — as individuals, as a society — and yet it is never discussed, never explained, never justified. Rousseau, Descartes, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Aquinas, nearly every major writer I’ve encountered devotes time to the subject. And it’s not as if these questions are without practical concern, that they are less immediately relevant than science for instance. Our laws, our institutions and all our actions are a reflection of our ethics. Our own society owes itself to the writers of the enlightenment, but we never probe their work — we fail to espouse the movement’s central principle, doubt — doubt everything. We study what is, never why, never what should be. For that reason, the education we have received here is not only incomplete, it is entirely hollow.
What’s more, this same lack of focus can be found in many of the subjects we do study.

We approach history as though it were a story, endlessly cataloging every major character or event. But the details of that story are insignificant — what is significant is the progression of ideas. A study of history should get some sense of how the society he sees around him developed from those built thousands of years ago, what ideas changed and what changed them. When humanist scholars looked into ancient Rome during the Renaissance, they searched for moral examples, for ideas. They didn’t mull on every single daily event. They were inspired, and they transformed society. History is not an end in itself; it should act as a tool for greater thought.

But it’s not only history. I’ve taken a literature class nearly every year of my life, but never has a question so basic as “What is good writing?” come up. Literary technique, what should be the focus of the class, is never discussed. How does an author develop plot? How can an author control mood or tone in his writing? What is the advantage of one author’s methods over another’s? Such matters are never discussed. We read for the sake of reading, to talk about our interpretations in class as though we were in a book club. But no attention is paid to why we read the books we do, what makes them so special. And this pattern, grade for the sake of a grade, work for the sake of work, can be found everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen, the spirit of intellectual thought is lost. I speak today not to rant, complain or cause trouble, and certainly not to draw attention to myself. I have accomplished nothing and I am nothing. I know that. Rather, I was moved by the countless hours wasted in those halls. Today, you should focus on your child or loved one. This is meant to be a day of celebration, and if I’ve taken away from that, I’m sorry. But I know how highly this community values learning, and I urge you all to re-evaluate what it means to be educated. I care deeply about everyone here, and it is only our fulfillment I desire. I will leave now so that the ceremony can go on. Again, my deepest apologies, God help me.

For more information see this link:
http://www.digg.com/politics/High_schoo ... ion_system

I find it interesting how many parents of the other graduates and the school administrators where quick to condemn the speech. I think the offense comes from the fact that someone actually did learn how useless HS was and had the nerve to say it to the exact people that could do something about it.

It would do him good to read the works of John Taylor Gatto just to see that there are those who do see the US education system for what it is worth.

As for freedom of speech in schools, you do not understand. The minute you cross the threshold of any public school, you leave your rights at the door and are at the mercy of your masters.

1969 supreme court ruled children don't leave their right to freedom of speach at the school boundries.

the liberal nuts on power trips running the school systems are totally out of control.

All a child is doing is attending a meeting required by law for people under 16 years old. They have no right to distrupt the meeting being held by the teacher for educational purposes. The teachers have no clue they have absolutely no legal authority over the students. All they can legally do is complain to the police if a child is disturbing their meeting. The police got ways to arrest people for next to nothing and it should be left up to the police to remove students who distrupt the meetings.

these crazy people called teachers telling children they can't do this or can't do that or must do this or must do that are totally out of their minds. They have no legal authority to tell anyone to do anything.

Is it worth it for 1 child to fight the system, nope not with the over whelming majority of people on planet earth really thinking people employed by school systems have their own little private Empires and can make up their own rules as they please.

I'm in my 40's now, a few years ago when my niece was younger she liked to do things like play school and after seeing her play act like that, it dawned on me that school teachers got the same mentality as a little girl,they are just doing if for real. I sat in school for years captured by mostly grown woman playing school house. Most of them where way out in lala land like they took lots of acid trips in their college days.

I really don't see what makes them "liberal" at all. From where I'm standing, the people in charge of the school systems are much more on the conservative end. If they were liberal then they'd be open to changing the school system, for the very definition of liberal implies new changes without violence.

I definately agree that high school's got its priorities out of whack. While I didn't find it totally pointless, I do think that this speech has some really good points.

Here's another I'll bring up: why must everyone have to learn calculous when not all of them (perhaps even few of them) are actually going to USE anything above Algebra I, if that, after they're done with school? Why do we have to "learn" things we'll never use?

Johnnie,

First you need to know about your rights in order to exercise them. How many schools take the time to teach their students what their rights are. A good example is what occurs in New York. The rights of the student are as such that before the students is suspended from school, they are suppose to get a hearing. The hearing is usually held after the suspension period though. That would be like sending you to prison, then a court determining if you are guilty or not after you have served the time perscribed by law. The student also does not have the usual rights given to defendents in a court trial.

Second, the supreme court has also eroded the rights of students slowly but stedily since Cedar Rapids. In fact, TLO v. New Jersey (or reverse) comes to mind immediately. That is the decision that allows the schools to search the belongings of a student without a warrent (reasonable suspision rather than probabe cause).

In fact, what is happening to students is simply what is happening to all citizens in the US. Yet the sheep do not revolt. I wonder if this is what public education was really formed for. To keep the sheep in line.

label them democrat nuts than They sure don't support the republican party and promote tree hugging in their teachings.

save the spotted owl,we might need something to wipe our butts with if we can't cut down tree's

rights
if they knew them and talked back,they would be in more trouble. They don't have the resources or political power to defends their rights.

"why must everyone have to learn calculous "

They gave me a high school deploma in 1977 without even making it to geometry,can't even spell and haven't a clue about the proper way to form a sentance.

no child left behind is the biggest joke going. people are all different,even within families children are going to be different. The only way to make them all equal is drag the top kid down to the level of the bottom kid. They don't want little johnny to feel bad about himself,so it they don't let anyone do better than the dumbest kids nobodies little feelings will be hurt.

http://www.fredoneverything.net/FOE_Frame_Column.htm