Education an Analysis of the Book Life

Education

An Analysis of the book "Life in Schools" by Peter McLaren

Peter McLaren is a well-known proponent for enforcing social reform and teaching and discussing about new issues in education and critical theory, which is the critical pedagogy and multicultural education. His extensive works regarding the study of critical pedagogy has already made him popular and well received by students, scholars, and readers who are in line of thinking with Paulo Freire, one of the most famous educational thinkers who revolutionized the way scholars treat the problem of education in the contemporary American society. The book "Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the Foundation of Education," (4th edition), published by Allyn & Bacon, is a reflection of McLaren's belief about the radical change the educational system needed, and the social reform the educational system needs in order relieve the poor, 'oppressed' people from suffering the commercialization and disintegration of knowledge and quality learning in America's educational system. This important issue is the main reason why McLaren writes such a book like this one.

Life in Schools" is basically divided into two important topics in education: critical pedagogy and multicultural education. McLaren's book first discusses what critical pedagogy is, then after the long discussion with this topic, a discussion of the multicultural education issues are then tackled. The bulk of the book focuses on the issue of critical pedagogy. This topic is actually a carryover and an evaluation and elaboration of the famous works of Paulo Freire, wherein the commercialization of the education system is criticized. Perhaps an important step to accomplish first is to define what critical pedagogy is, so that a thorough discussion will be made in trying to explain the nature of this concept. Critical pedagogy is said to be the way education provide individuals "with tools to better themselves and strengthen democracy, to create a more egalitarian society, and thus to deploy education in a process of progressive social change (definition by Douglas Kellner, "Multiple Literacies and Critical Pedagogies"). Using this definition by Kellner, it is evident that critical pedagogy is a study, a concept that aims to bring about change and development in the present educational system in the U.S. society (in McLaren's case). Further extending the definition of this concept, critical pedagogy is the critical way of looking at the present state of the society's educational system, which is actually commercialized, funded, and controlled by capitalist businesses, whom McLaren as "for-profit" enterprises.

Under McLaren's discussion, the U.S. educational system and the students themselves must adopt critical pedagogy since we as students and the education institution as a social institution is in danger of becoming controlled and continually, increasingly manipulated to the demands of these capitalist businesses. In his book, McLaren makes the claim that "the relationship between capitalism and urban education has led to schooling practices that favor economic control by the elite classes." This is a critical view of looking at the issue of commercialized education. McLaren argues that the deteriorating quality of education taught in schools was brought about by too much manipulation by businesses to let the students conduct studies and research that aim to benefit these companies/businesses. An example given by McLaren is the 'control' that financial sponsorships of corporations have over scientific researches and studies. Important scientific research and studies become subjective in purpose, that is, serving only the goals of the financier, which is the business company, and the success of the scientific research/study can be attributed to the business company alone, and not to the student, who was merely funded to conduct it. McLaren says that if this scenario happens, "corporate science' emerges, and "university research has been transformed into privately sponsored affair driven mainly by industries... Projects that can produce new drugs... are reaping huge profits." Thus, the focus on acquiring knowledge and skills using critical thinking is only done for the benefit not of the student and the school institution, but of the capitalist businesses only.

Public and private education has also been declining in quality and superiority when it comes to providing superior quality of education to the students. Public schools have been declining in quality of educations as compared to private ones, which is usually controlled and run by businesses. Again, capitalist industries take 'full rein' in the administration of school activities and programs, and its control does not only involve school administration, but also "privatization, school choice, accountability schemes, and standardized tests." Again, commercialization is evident even in public and private schools in the educational institution of America.

McLaren's study and critique on critical pedagogy is also his initial step into explaining and introducing the second main topic in the book, which is multicultural education. Under this concept, McLaren implicates the role of education commercialization to the social problems that people face nowadays: social stratification in gender, race, age, socio-economic status, and other social factors. McLaren implied that due to the oppressive characteristic of commercialized school institutions, that is, the charging of extremely expensive school fees, and the teaching of mediocre quality of education, is what oppresses the society's poor students. These students, who barely can afford tuition in college, receive financial help from capitalist industries because of lack of funds/financial support, and the student is forced to use his research or study for the benefit of his financier, that is, the capitalist industries, for whatever reasons agreeable or disagreeable to the student. Thus, development and improvement of social life through acquired knowledge and skill is not achieved because of the companies' overpowering ability to dominate people who conduct research and come up with revolutionary ideas in educational institutions controlled by these 'for-profit' enterprises. Thus, if a new drug has been discovered and produced through a research study financed by a capitalist company, the chances that this new drug will benefit the society will become remote; instead, the company will seize ownership because of the funding they gave, and give credit to themselves for the new drug, and sell this drug at a very high price, which the society cannot afford but for the richer few only. Thus, poverty or low socioeconomic class is perpetuated because of these industries. McLaren incorporates these multiculturalist education ideas into his books by providing examples of controversial issues in our society, such as the stratification according to gender ("Bein' Tough: Bein' Female"), race ("The Black Underclass: Racial Stratification"), class ("Why Students Fail"), and other societal elements that deprive people in the society to be equal with each other.