Reasons Why

Have you ever been sitting in class and wondering what the point is? Wondering why this is even relevant? Wishing you skipped the class and went off with your friends to the coast? I know I have, and I am willing to bet you have too.

The thing is, we were probably right...we should have skipped the class and gone to the coast. The teacher stands up there and reads the information from the book and wants us to memorize the key terms. These terms will be on test in the form of multiple choice questions and matching. First off, we don't need to do this in class; we could do this at home or at the coast. Second, doing this at all does not teach us anything. Sure we can memorize it for the mid-term and get an 'A', and a week later remember nothing. What does that prove, or teach us? How does this mean we are educated?

Paulo Freire calls this type of education, "The Banking Concept". He describes it as, "Education becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor. Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiquйs and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat. This is the "banking concept" of education, in which the scope of action allowed to the students extends only as far as receiving, filing, and storing the deposits." (Freire 257)

This idea holds true in my public education experience. I earned a 3.5 GPA in high school, and yet when I graduated and went to college I found out real fast that I did not know as much as I thought, or should have known.

Whose fault is this? Is it mine? Is it the public school system? As Freire asks, is it the teachers? Or is it something else entirely? I feel due to the circumstances placed upon teachers, they are not to blame for the "Banking Concept of Education" because of the budget cuts, education laws, and the lack of parental involvement.

Within the public education system there has been lots of news about budget cuts; schools having to cut millions of dollars out each year. As the result of this, the schools are cutting extracurricular activities and classes. For example, at my high school they cut the architecture, drama, and Ð... the music programs. It seems to me they are taking away everything that involves creativity. Plus, they cut a lot of JV sports, as well as the PE programs. So now we have lazy, fat, non-creative students. Is this how we improve our society and future? My high school also cut funding to all remaining programs. They laid off teachers, thus increasing the class size, forcing teachers to teach in a "Banking Concept" way. How else are you going to teach 40-50 students in a 50 minute class period?

We could have helped this as Oregonians. Do you remember that pesky little measure on last year's ballot about the public education system? Doesn't ring a bell does it? Well, do you remember the measure about raising your state tax by 1 percent? Yes, of course you remember that measure, it affected your wallet. Surprise, those measures are one and the same. I am talking about measure 30, from the February 2004 ballots.

Measure 30 had to do with raising the state tax in order to help with the budget cuts the schools were facing. But with 59 percent opposing and 41 percent supporting the tax package, the people of Oregon said, "I don't care about our schools." This implies "I don't care about the future" as well.

What about the students? Can their education be improved by laying off teachers, eliminating extracurricular activities and reducing the school year? Will students learn better with fewer books and fewer classes? The answer to all these questions seems like common sense, but when money is involved common sense goes right out the window.

These budget cuts and measures not being passed are not the only problems causing the banking concept to sweep across our public schools. What about the Education for All Handicapped Children Act? This Act "Guarantees all children with disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disability, the right to a free and appropriate public education." (Allen and Cowdery)

Have you ever had a student with a disability in your class? They can be fun, but they take a lot of the teachers' time away from the class. With the format that most schools have, 50 minute classes are not long enough to get through the information and let alone handle someone's special needs. Thus again, teachers are left with the ability to teach in a "banking concept" of a way. How else are they to get through everything they are supposed to?

There is another important Act I would like to discuss. Have you heard of The No Child Left Behind Act? President George W. Bush announced this act just three days after becoming president. This is something he had implemented into the Texas school system and is now doing on a country level.

The US Department of Education says this, "The No Child Left Behind Act will strengthen Title I accountability by requiring States to implement statewide accountability systems covering all public schools and students. These systems must be based on challenging State standards in reading and mathematics, annual testing for all students in grades 3-8, and annual statewide progress objectives ensuring that all groups of students reach proficiency within 12 years. Assessment