City Springs Elementary School seems to be totally opposite to the Free School. Throughout the film, teachers were constantly giving instructions to students. The teachers had a manual to their teaching and were supposed to follow it, word by word. For me, the education at City Springs is too rigid. I feel power and authority of the principal and the teachers imposed on children, which is contrary to the Free School’s method.
At one point of the documentary (about 45minutes into the film), in kindergarten class, the teacher was having a hard time getting the students to sit down and get on with the lesson. The teachers had the students wait in line and make some students sit at one spot for a long time. Hence, when everyone was finally seated, some students were already bored and tired and in no mood to learn. At that moment, a girl hit another girl. The teacher was out of the camera but she returned and asked: “What did you hit her for?” and the girl who hit another classmate replied, “She teased me.” Without further conversation, that girl was taken to another table to sit alone by herself and the one being hit was left at her seat. The camera cut off at that moment, so I’m not sure what happened after, but this conflict resolution method is also different to that of the Free School. I wonder what unspoken messages the children are receiving from this school.
As some of us already pointed out in their blogs, I also wondered: would a school like the Free School function in the community where City Springs is? My guess is no. I think economic situation plays a large role in parents deciding where to send their kids for their education. At the Free School, they had more resource for learning. The emphasis was on the development of their character because (I am assuming that) they already have resources (i.e. money) enough to compete with others. However, at City Springs, they cannot compete unless they have academic achievement which will give chances to children to succeed in life. I believe in Makiguchi’s idea that education is for children’s happiness. I see that ultimately, both City Springs and the Free School aim for children’s happiness, but their definition of children’s happiness is different and so the means to reach the end is also different. What is best for children?
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"At the Free School, they had more resource for learning. The emphasis was on the development of their character because (I am assuming that) they already have resources (i.e. money) enough to compete with others. However, at City Springs, they cannot compete unless they have academic achievement which will give chances to children to succeed in life. I believe in Makiguchi’s idea that education is for children’s happiness. I see that ultimately, both City Springs and the Free School aim for children’s happiness, but their definition of children’s happiness is different and so the means to reach the end is also different. What is best for children?"
Let's explore an assumption in the question at the end, first. Let's ask whether we should refer to children as a unity, as if any one thing could be best for all children. Could it? Or should we consider the diversity of learning styles as a material difference that makes a difference and therefore diversify the methods and approaches used in education? "Childhood" itself is a cultural construction of recent centuries... if there is no one specific and universal child nature, but only a diversity of pathways through a broad set of general developmental stages through which children move at different speeds and with different emphasis, why would we want a one-size-fits-all educational institution? Why would we want one that arranges difference into hierarchies of "achievement" or "talent" or even "intelligence"?
Secondarily, ask yourself this question too: how are we to know that poorer people are less interested in "character"-building education? Are wealthier people less interested in "achievement"?
Lastly, if you wanted to test how well a place like City Springs Elementary or the Free School prepares a child for "success" how would you define success and what would qualify as evidence?
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