"Against School"

In John Taylor Gatto's text entitled "Against School", he speaks about how our puplic school systems are not there for the reasons we think. He says schools in America are just breeding grounds for conformity and absence of thought. The politicians and corporate leaders dont want any original or rebellious workers. Teach them how to obey authority and stay childeren forever is what they want to happen. The general idea is to create a population of thoughtless consumers driven by their need of things they don't really need. dumbing them down is a term he often uses.
I dont know how I feel about this dumbing down process A.KA. the public school system. I thought it was ludicrous to compare our chools to the prussian schools of old. Those just seemed so much more of a prison feeled with rules of things you can and can't say, and things you can and can't wear. The list goes on. Then I thought about it, I mean really thought about it. He really isnt too far off the mark in most things. I garauntee there are kids that didnt learn any thing really in schools for years at a time.
Granted, there are exceptions for every thing and this is no different. No doubt there are awesomt teachers out there with students who are learning and want to learn every day. However,I fear they are gravely outnumbered to the bored students and staff, just as our author states. what can we do but sit and hope for change where it is needed, or we can rise up and do something about it if we dont like it.