An Analytical Critique of the Educational System Literature Essay (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
An Analytical Critique of the Educational System
The primary role of education is to foster enlightenment, creativity, and innovation so that humanity not only survives but also thrives holistically. According to Barber, the founding fathers of America understood "the connection between citizenship and education" (1). As such, education became a public good and the role of universities was to promote literacy, knowledge, and research to create citizens who would uphold democracy and become global citizens. However, over the years, education has been slowly transformed from being a public utility to a public-private partnership that works together to realize socio-political or business agendas. To this effect, education is no longer a pure public asset; rather, it has become a machinery for the indoctrination of values and ideologies that enable governments and businesses to realize their self-interests.
Learning for Indoctrination Not Enlightenment
Good quality education inspires learning and allows the development of skillsets. However, these basic aspects of education are increasingly being distorted. Academic learning and skills development are no longer being allowed to become utilities of the public good, as initially envisioned. Instead, they are being used as opportunities to mold the behavior and beliefs of the present generation so that they adhere to a specific social, political, or corporate system. Whereas order is important, schools emphasize more on instilling so-called discipline among learners than helping them nurture their creativity, skills, and talents. The school environment does not allow students to express their independence of thought or character. Instead, learners are expected to think and behave in a particular manner, which is considered the ideal way. Rodriquez’s account of his educational experiences as a child demonstrates the impact of schools as institutions that shape behaviors and mannerisms rather than nurture individuality and uniqueness. Rodriquez notes that he was proud when the teacher mentioned that he was losing his Spanish accent, yet, this also amounted to a loss of means of identification and compromised his confidence and ability to communicate with his parents (244).