School

School  (propaganda,  social control)
Interest of	• Carnegie Corporation • Arne Duncan • Stanley Kaplan • Powerbase
"The reproductive organ of the consumer society", coming to resemble prisons more and more closely, especially in USA, where attempts have been made to criminalize those who feed the hungry or comfort the afflicted.

School will be familiar to most readers from their own experience. In his most celebrated book, Deschooling Society, Ivan Illich referred to school as "the reproductive organ of the consumer society." John Taylor Gatto, a highly feted New York teacher with almost 30 years experience, exposed its hidden purposes less obliquely with his best selling Underground History of American Education. It is well understood as a social control designed to make children more amenable to institutional control.

Official narrative

Public education is the backbone of society, despite its relatively recent adoption by the US government. It is vital to develop human resources as one does with any other resource, like coal or timber. Public schools are the center of the community and often the seat of local government as many school board members have more political capital than mayors or council members. The goal of the public school system is two fold:

1. Externally, the typical school district claims to maximize the potential of every student, regardless of mitigating factors. Teachers and administrators understand parental lack of interest in student education or distraction by poverty and are explicitly told to find ways to get parents involved. Within the community of educators, however, it is openly acknowledged that the most irritating parents are the involved ones (a.k.a. "helicopter parents," "tiger moms" or just "you know who." It is understood by the community that students are given ample opportunities to explore talents and skills and increased funding can only help a school provide more of these experiences via staffing, building additions, and supplies.

2. The internally acknowledged aim of the vast majority of school districts is to have every student either employed or invested in the higher education system by graduation. This includes fostering a sense of community within the bounds of the school and leads to su communities of young people within the larger communities. Events such as Prom, Homecoming, and student government elections are meant to bond students together and create a support system of teachers and peers independant of outside interference (via family, religion and/or Independent study.) Publicly, students given differentiated instruction but due to time constraints, teachers are expected to teach to the middle, understanding that the very lowest of students will likely never pass standardized tests regardless of instruction, and the highest students will likely pass without instruction. Lessons are designed for the approximately 60% of students who will benefit from explicit instruction.

Public controversies include NCLB, IDEA, and CCSS. While it is fine to discuss issues internally with other teachers, it is expected to fully endorse requirements to the public- at the risk of career disenfranchisement or loss of liscense. Conflicting narratives include the responsibility of the educator to both expose students to new ideas and to protect them from radical ones .

Problems

The public education system has very little community involvement. In general, teachers are prohibited from being appointed to the school board as a conflict of interest. This leads to a school board, especially in rural communities, comprised of parents who flex political muscles for academic favors. In general, the only power a school board has is in approving hires and fires and therefore the community can do little more than threaten a teacher with firing if they are dissatisfied with the education.

Instead, the state and federal government have passed mandates of increasing restriction and complexity requiring schools to show proficiency in areas deemed vital by elected officials and the Department of Education. Such mandates include book lists of approved texts as well as emphasis on certain subjects and skills (such as essay writing from secondary sources) and the elimination of others (such as generative writing from primary sources).

It is vital that citizens acknowledge that social indoctrination (how to behave in the world) is of primary importance to the education system and is in no way hidden to the public. Kind words (as opposed to freedom of speech), gender and race equality (as opposed to equity), responsibility for past injustices (as opposed to personal responsibility) are all part of state-sanctioned lesson plans and are considered of primary importance over content-based curriculum. This is called classroom management when implicitly taught or social literacy when explicitly taught. Courses in these subjects make up a large portion of any education degree, often as "diversity training" or "behavioral management."

Forced schooling is intended to interfere with children’s abilities to educate themselves.

Origins

Mass compulsion schooling in the modern era first came to prominence in Prussia in the 19th century, and was swiftly followed by a huge rise in militarism in that country. Neighbours UK and France copied the tactic, while emissaries from Japan and USA were dispatched to learn how to institute forced schooling in those countries.

As so eloquently documented by John Taylor Gatto in his Underground History of American Education, the rise of compulsory education was inextricably linked with the rise of factory labour and mass production. The facade of altruism was not a high priority in the early days of school, and on occasions, children were even marched to school at gunpoint (most regularly, native American children in USA and Canada). The pressure on industrialists to find compliant workers for their factories was clear. As John D. Rockefeller put it “I do not want a nation of thinkers. I want a nation of Workers.”

Politicians could readily appreciate the power of schools to facilitate compliance. Winston Churchill is quoted as remarking that “schools have not necessarily much to do with education... they are mainly institutions of control, where basic habits must be inculcated in the young. Education is quite different and has little place in school.”

Modern extremes

Although some progressive policies such as restorative justice are being tried out in US schools, formerly unthinkable social engineering policies are also being carried out. CCTV is not yet mandated but appears to be becoming de rigeur in US schools; by 2015, 64% of US schools were using CCTV cameras, up from 32.5% in 2003.

Removing Free Speech

Free speech has been explicitly ruled to not apply to schoolchildren in US educational establishments. The FBI is instructing high schools across the country to report students who criticize US government policies and “western corruption”, suggesting that they are potential future "terrorists".

War on drugs

Under the pretext of the "war on drugs", schools are infiltrated by police officers, and entrapment operations set up. Students have alleged that hundreds of them have been groped by police.

Militarization

Los Angeles Unified school police officials were given over 60 M-16 automatic rifles, an armored vehicle priced at $750,000 and 3 grenade launchers by the U.S. Department of Defense. Following criticism they kept the vehicle and rifles, but returned the grenade launchers, unused.

Terror drills

Increasingly realistic "terror drills" are used to shock and condition the children. The CIA hides real explosives in school buildings and vehicles. This emerged in 2016 after a routine check on a US school bus revealed it had been driving around with plastic explosive hidden under the hood. The CIA stated that it had been "accidentally" left there after a training exercise a week before.

School-to-Prison Pipeline

Many commentators have noted the close similarity between US schools and US prisons, with one noting wryly that "the difference seems to be that “modern” jails have better educational facilities and seem to be in better condition". The "School-to-Prison Pipeline" refers to the fashioning of future prisoners by school policies. It affects disproportionately poor, non-caucasion students.

Banning ordinary activities

As of 2016, the individual cases referred to below are by no means typical, but illustrate the training of US towards the replacement of individual consciences towards unquestioning obedience to a rigid, impersonal set of rules.

Reading books

In Canada in 2015 a school bus driver told an 8 year old girl must not read on the bus because it was dangerous. "He suggested [other students] might stand up to see what she was reading, or she might poke herself in the eye with the corners of the book." The school board deferred to the driver, saying that while reading was not dangerous per se, the bus driver could make the rules and she had to follow them. A spokesman for the bus company supported the driver.

Walking to school

Some parents have been told that they must not let their children walk alone to school, even being threatened that unless they accompany their children to school, their children will be taken away from them.

Feeding the hungry

In 2014, Kyle Bradford, an 8^th grader in California was given a detention for sharing a chicken burrito with a friend.

Tending to the sick

In 2016 Anthony Ruelas, 15, witnessed his eighth grade classmate wheezing and gagging for minutes while no one did anything. He was suspended after carrying him to the school nurse.

Comforting the afflicted

Jackson Heights Middle School in Oviedo, Florida has a code of conduct which prohibits “inappropriate or obscene acts” including “unwelcome or inappropriate touching, or any other physical act that is considered to be offensive, socially unacceptable or not suitable for an educational setting.” This has been interpreted as a blanket ban on hugging, holding hands, linking arms and kissing, even in the case of family members comforting one another.

Mass Surveillance

"Most English and Welsh secondary schools have installed software that apparently allows teachers to continually monitor their students’ internet activity. Most schools have failed in any way to inform the youngsters parents that they are being watched. No permission is asked of pupils."

Exams

School exams primarily measure obedience. Many studies have tried to link them to other correlates of 'success' in life, but the effort has not been successful, and some have found a negative correlation. Although much vaunted by school teachers, the only predictive power of examination scores is as regards subsequent score on subsequent examinations.

“Tests aren't tests at all, they're drills. They're part of a psychological training package which controls the behaviour of the unsuspecting. The ultimate goal is to establish and perpetuate a hierarchy. You have to be made to feel that you failed.”
John Taylor Gatto (2007) 

Alternatives

Many countries make school attendance compulsory. However, some allow for kids to be homeschooled or to attend independent schools such as free schools. After an upswing the 1960s and a decline in the 1970s, democratic schools are becoming increasingly popular again in USA.

 

Examples

Page name	Started	Location	Alumni	Description
Abingdon School	1100 JL	United Kingdom	4	"Highly selective, strongly academic" upper-class English boarding school for boys
Ackworth School	1779	United Kingdom West Yorkshire		Quaker school in England. Most of today's pupils are not Quakers, but the school retains a strong Quaker ethos.
Ampleforth College	1802	Yorkshire UK	11	UK establishment day and boarding school with decades of sexual abuse and cover ups.
Ardingly College	1858	United Kingdom West Sussex Ardingly	3	Public boarding school for the British establishment
Bedales School			5
Bishop's Stortford College	1868	United Kingdom Hertfordshire	3	Day and boarding school in Hertfordshire, England
Blackrock College	1860	Dublin Eire	2	Catholic boarding school for boys in Ireland
Bryanston School			3	Has a reputation as a liberal and artistic school. Highest school fees in England.
Charterhouse School	1611	United Kingdom Surrey UK Smithfield	23	Regarded to be among the most prestigious schools in the world due to the school's history and influence
Cheltenham Ladies' College	1853		4	Prestigious English girls school.
Christ's Hospital	1552 JL		8	British public boarding school
City of London School	1442 JL	City of London UK 107 Queen Victoria Street	3
Dalton School	1919		3	Long seen as a bastion of privilege, Dalton is one of New York City’s most prestigious private schools. Also mysteriously hired an unqualified Jeffrey Epstein.
Dame Alice Owen's School	1613	United Kingdom Hertfordshire	2	Prestigious state school in England
Diocesan College	1849	South Africa	1	Interesting for Rhodes Scholarship / Milner group networks; embraced apartheid military role
East Greenwich Academy	1802	US Rhode Island	1	Boarding school in Rhode Island that closed in 1943.
Eastbourne College	1867		2
Edinburgh Academy	1824	Scotland Edinburgh UK	4	Independent school in Edinburgh, Scotland, opened in 1824.
Eton College	1440 JL		98	A long established UK school, popular with the UK deep state
Fettes College	1870	Scotland Edinburgh	10	'The Scottish Eton'
Galatasaray High School	1481 JL	Turkey Istanbul	11	Oldest high school in Turkey.
Geelong Grammar School	1855	Australia Victoria (Australia) Geelong	11	Ruling class school. The school's fees are the most expensive in Australia.
George Watson's College	1741	Scotland Edinburgh UK	6	First in Scotland and 29th in the UK for the number of the nation's leading people produced.
Gordonstoun School	1934	Scotland Moray	8	Boarding school in Scotland popular with the aristocracy
Groton School		US Massachusetts	28	Exclusive boarding school in Massachusetts, USA. Lots of people who later became deep state operatives and spooks.
Haileybury	1806	United Kingdom Hertfordshire Hertford Heath	11	"The people who run the world go to Hailesbury"
Hampton Grammar School	1557 JL	London United Kingdom	3	Boys' day school in Hampton, Greater London. One of the top school rowing clubs in the country.
Harrow School	1572 JL		39	One of the four boy's schools where the old British elite is raised.
Headington School	1915	United Kingdom Oxford	1	Independent girls' school in Oxford
Hollywood				The most influential cinema industry of the world is in the US. It holds some dark secrets regarding child rape, social engineering and more.
Hotchkiss School	1891	US Connecticut	20	US Establishment boarding school.
Institut Le Rosey	1880	Switzerland Rolle	13	Very posh Swiss boarding school
Juilliard School	1905	New York US	4	Prestigious dance, drama, and music school
Kadıköy Maarif College	1955	Turkey Istanbul	1	Prestigious high school in Istanbul
King's College School	1829	London UK	3	One of the highest academically performing schools in the UK
King's School (Canterbury)			5
Lawrenceville School	1810	US	2	One of the oldest and most expensive preparatory schools in the United States
Loretto Academy	1923	US Texas El Paso	1	Private Roman Catholic school in El Paso, Texas
Lycée Henri-IV	1796	France Paris	5	Considered one of the most demanding and prestigious secondary schools in France.
Lycée Louis-le-Grand	1563 JL	France Paris	15	Prestigious secondary school located in Paris
Malvern College		United Kingdom Malvern UK	6
Marlborough College	1843		18
Melbourne Grammar	7 April 1858	Australia Melbourne Victoria (Australia)	6	Melbourne establishment school with influential old boys network that "opens up pathways."
Millbrook School			2
Millfield School	1935		11	Many later deep state operatives
Milton Academy	1798	US Boston	5
Moreton Hall School	1913	United Kingdom		UK boarding and day school
New College School	1379 JL	Oxford Oxfordshire UK	1	School tied to New College, Oxford.
Oslo Commerce School	1875	Norway Oslo	3	A traditional mercantile high school in "the best part" of Oslo.
Phillips Academy	1778	Massachusetts Phillips Academy	29	Long established Preparatory school for the US ruling class
... further results

 

Related Quotations

Page	Quote	Author	Date
George Carlin	“Governments don’t want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They're not interested in that... that doesn't help them. That’s against their interests. They don't want people who are smart enough to sit around a kitchen table and think about how badly they are getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fuckin' years ago. They don't want that. You know what they want?... They want obedient workers, obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork and just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, the reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it.”	George Carlin
George Carlin	“Where would we be without our safe, familiar, American bullshit? "Land of the Free," "Home of the Brave," "The American Dream," "All men are equal," "Justice is blind," "The Press is free," "Your vote counts," "Business is honest," "The good guys win," "The police are on your side," "God is watching you," "Your standard of living will never decline" and "Everything is going to be just fine:" the official national bullshit story. I call it the American Okie Doke. Every one, every one of those items is provably untrue at one level or another, but we believe them because they’re pounded into our heads from the time we’re children. That's what they do with that kind of thing—pound it into the heads of kids, 'cause they know the children are much too young to be able to muster an intellectual defense against a sophisticated idea like that, and they know that, up to a certain age, children believe everything their parents tell them. And as a result, they never learn to question things. Nobody questions things in this country anymore.”	George Carlin
John Taylor Gatto	“As a vampire fears garlic, the marketplace fears wisdom. Well schooled populations are usually trained to pay lip service to democracy. At the same time, they are being conditioned to avoid the attitudes and behaviors democracy requires. It's a dilemma without an easy answer, because though our national consciousness honors the idea of a democratic society, our national economy and our government would wither and die under anything less than a command-and-control reality. Would you teach critical judgment and moral behavior to everybody? Tell me something, if you would. How could an economy like ours, grounded in the global sale of war machinery, industrially produced meat, fruit and vegetables which has a nutritional value about half of what farm products did in 1940, that relies on financial trickery and the mass sale of magical programs of schooling (not all of them inside school). How could an economy like this endure in a climate of critical intelligence?”	John Taylor Gatto	2008
John Taylor Gatto	“You've heard the expression... "self-fulfilling prophecies". School is set up to certify the social class system and the economic class system that's in place now.”	John Taylor Gatto
Donald Jeffries	“The way history is presented to Americans, from the youngest schoolchildren to the doctorate-level Ivy Leaguers, mirrors the way news is presented to the public. Much as it is difficult to find a single issue or event which the mainstream media has reported on accurately, it is just as difficult to find any historical event, or historical figure, portrayed honestly by establishment historians. We still see everyone from history professors to late-night comedians referring to any opponent of the establishment with a mean-spirited, impossibly caricatured negativity.”	Donald Jeffries	2019
John Lennon	“The people have the power, all we have to do is awaken that power in the people. The people are unaware. They’re not educated to realize that they have power. The system is so geared that everyone believes the government will fix everything. We are the government.”	John Lennon
H.L. Mencken	“The state maintains its control of elementary education, not primarily to reduce illiteracy and turn the eyes of the plain people toward the stars, but to make sure that they are not taught anything that is subversive. Public education is thus a police measure.”	H.L. Mencken	1924
Woodrow Wilson	“We want one class of persons to have a liberal education, and we want another class of persons, a very much larger class, of necessity, in every society, to forgo the privileges of a liberal education and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks.”	Woodrow Wilson	1909

Rating

9 September 2016 Robin  A thought provoking set of observations
This page could do with more examples, but sketches out a distressing picture of how schools - particularly in the USA - are being used to prepare the next generation for an obscene, totalitarian autocracy.

Many thanks to our Patrons who cover ~2/3 of our hosting bill. Please join them if you can.