In a recent article, Noam Chomsky discusses the ‘assault on public education’ and how the ‘failures’ in public education are bad for all of society–and not simply those who avail themselves (or can avail themselves) of that education–; but, also, that these failures are ‘failures by design’.
Here Chomsky is making reference to the Economic Policy Institute’s recent publication of the same title: Failure By Design.
For much of its history mass public education’s purpose was not to emancipate citizen’s rather, as Ralph Emerson noted, it was to give them enough education to “keep them from our [political leaders'] throats”; while, on the other hand, ensuring that this education duly “[l]imit[ed] their perspectives and understanding, discourage[d] free and independent thought, and train[ed] them for obedience.” Such an approach is what, in part, Adam Smith declared as a ‘vile maxim’.
Much to the conservative leaders’ chagrin, the 60′s and 70′s witnessed a period where citizens were clearly not satisfied with simply being trained for obedience. Instead, this ‘outbreak’ of liberalism caused so much concern that the 1% deemed it an ‘attack on their prized way of life’.
From however inauspicious beginnings, and irrespective of the colossal attempts of the 1% to keep the 99% in silent and obedient submission, public education flowered and, with it, we witnessed the rise of civil society, rights, autonomy, as well as the emancipation of a myriad of groups historically denied that very autonomy (and, of which, the 1% was intent on maintaining that status quo).
Unfortunately, for all its success–both south of our border and here at home in Canada–we may be witnessing a successful final assault by the 1% in their bid to keep us down and obedient.
The attack is occurring by governments on both sides of the border who have been consciously and willfully setting up public services in such a way as to be doomed to failure; that is ensuring ‘failure by design’ by de-funding, under-funding, union-busting, undermining collective bargaining (and often outright ignoring contracts they’ve signed off on in the past that do not suit their ulterior ends now), and/or by selling off what have been long standing public commons to the private sector–often under the guise of the private sectors fictitious ability to provide the same services, but more efficiently.
The private sectors favored trope–however wide-spread and uncritically received–has been re-soundly trounced. Although we’re constantly barraged with the narrative that this is simply the way things are, Chomsky and the EPI are quick to note (and substantiate) that “there have always been alternatives.”
As Chomsky notes what we really have is a “nanny state for the rich…called “the free market.”
In regards to education, Chomsky further notes that “The Enlightenment ideal of education was captured in the image of education as laying down a string that students follow in their own ways, developing their creativity and independence of mind.”
If their trope is accepted as uncritically as it has been, the 1% may well be feeding us–the 99%–enough ‘string’ to be hanged by.