"Nobody's Perfect I Gotta Work it" ~Hannah Montana

         An elementary school student neglects to put her name on the top of her worksheet and receives a zero. A middle school student forgets his calculator and fails his Algebra test. A high school student oversleeps and misses the first period essential exam review. People are not perfect, from youth to old age. We are human. We are forgetful at one time or another and learn from our mistakes and effects of those mishaps. Consequences teach responsibility. Postman argues in The End of Education that students must be taught to be “error detectors” and teachers must help them discover “inconvertible truths and enduring ideas,” (Postman 118). From 1995 to today, public education strives to create a “public” to be the future of our country.  According to the States Standard Initiative, common core standards have been implemented for students across the United States to be prepared for careers and life.  The standard of teaching this way in public schools has generated political and educational arguments. Specifically, people dispute over the fact that students are too afraid to try something new with the fear of failing, showing creativity, or thinking outside of the box.  Postman points out in The End of Education, “everyone makes errors, including those who write about error,” (Postman 119). I agree with Postman because making mistakes help society learn and improve as a public. 

         There is a trend within society that citizens are beginning to expect institutions to provide for them rather than providing for themselves though hard work and effort. New generations feel entitled, even when they make continuous errors or act inappropriately. The god of Economic Utility’s purpose shapes the entitlement that, “if you pay attention in school, and do your homework, and score well on tests, and behave yourself, you will be rewarded with a well-paying job when you are done” (Postman 27). Postman believes that this god is invalid because each career requires a specific educational background. Many graduates assume that they are entitled to any job position, and then as new employees feel they deserve second and third chances when the consequence should actually result in termination. Similarly, another public school goal is to control and prevent bullying, and form a public who respects others.  In the workforce, the new generation of employees feel entitled to respect; however, they aren’t necessarily practicing what they have learned in their schooling.  Unfortunately, the type of citizenry our twenty-first century schools are molding is suffering from some undeserving, disrespectful, and somewhat lazy people.

Works Cited

Postman, Neil. The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. New York: Knopf, 1995. Print.