Public School Cultivates Learning Disabilities

By Mimi Rothschild

Joel Turtel, author of “Public Schools, Public Menace” cites a harrowing tale of the public school’s incompetence. He was a volunteer reading instructor some time ago and was asked to help a young boy read. He was dismayed to find that the child was never taught to sound out words using phonics, but simply memorized words that were simple enough to sight read. As a result, the boy insisted on reading only certain books that he had been able to memorize.
When Turtel expressed to the boy’s parents that the reason why their child has not excelled in reading is not due to a learning disability or disinterest in reading, but because he had never actually learned how to read. When the school’s administrators found out about his suggestion, they were furious and demanded that he leave the premises.

This heartbreaking story is indicative of a greater problem that is endemic to the public school way. Reading is perhaps the most tangible of subjects in which memorizing vs. learning is used. Consider any other subject. In history, for instance, any child will be able to tell you that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492. However, ask them why he sailed, what the causes and effects of his journey were, and you’ll find a child at a loss for words. The same though process can be found in every subject.

That’s because the public school curriculum program encourages students to memorize information in order to pass a test. This type of learning occurs all the way through high school. Once the test is over, the students perform a “brain dump” and forget all that they have learned. Little concern is put towards attaining a meaningful understanding of any given topic, but memorizing singular, unrelated facts that amount to a whole lot of ignorance.

Perhaps more troubling is the school’s reaction to Turtel’s suggestion. It is clear that they do not have the child’s best interest in mind. Sticking to the curriculum is what’s important, not enabling a child to succeed. One can only hope and pray that the young boy’s parents heeded Turtel’s words.

One Response to “Public School Cultivates Learning Disabilities”

1. Donna says:

   February 6, 2007 at 2:07 pm

   No Child Left Behind, which mandates assessment testing to determine “school performance,” is the government’s attempt to “improve” the quality of public education. This situation, however, has only fostered the type of incompetence mentioned in this blog. Now schools are “teaching to the tests” meaning they teach what’s on the test and only what’s on the test to make sure they get the scores they need to continue to receive funding. As though public education wasn’t bad enough, the government’s steps to improve it only made the problem worse.