Oh Johnathan, You Are So Wrong.

I really wished I wrote this as soon as class got out, when it was still fresh in my mind, but I will try my best to bring back the conversation.

So we had just finished the child film, and we're discussing it's implications and if it should or should not be shown to children, or if it even was designed for them. Johnathan argued that the film was better suited for adults, warning adults and teachers not to limit kids, and cut knowledge from them. Another view was to not show the film to kids, as it would give them a reason to be more anti authoritarian than kids already are.

I am here to argue against both of those points! While I would agree that the film could have a message sent to adults and teachers, I wouldn't say it is geared towards them, especially not limited to them. This is a warning to kids, and to those who learn. the Information presented, and force feed may not be complete, and to be free, unique, and not fall to being "manufactured" they must seek out knowledge on their own, and seek to find answers that aren't just presented to them.

As for the fear of anti authoritarian kids. WE NEED THEM! Growing up in a school of a couple thousand, I felt the brunt of mass produced education. When I went to school those who succeeded we're transferred into honors courses, that had a lower teacher to student ratio, and more resources dedicated to these classes. While those who did not succeed we're taken out of normal classes and transferred to "assisted learning courses". They got less attention, less resources, and less encouragement. The kids who succeeded took on an elitist attitude, from their view they had all the answers, and we're impressively successful at getting good grades. However taking on an elitist attitude, they believed those below honors and a 4.0 clearly weren't worth their time. They helped suppress the kids who didn't succeed at school! Our younger brothers and sisters need this! So those elitists hopefully recognize their is more to a person than their "scholastic excellence" and the kids beated down by the system can see more worth in themselves, and see more hope for the future.

I was an elitist when I went to school. I got into the honors courses, and experienced first hand the capabilities of my public school. I also saw the less successful classmates of mine, clearly didn't know how to succeed in life, and were not going to amount to much. Than something amazing happened. I realized, through my good grades, past my rank 17 in a class of 2,000 that I was still an idiot. Really, I found through literature and some inspiring people, that I still had a lot to learn, and when I saw myself from the outside, I was and still kind of am to this day a big dumby, and I NEED TO LEARN. I wish I realized it sooner, I could've become a much better artist, student, and person if I realized that I need to learn. I would've been able to help others learn, and I can regretfully say I could've not hurt people, and keep them from learning.

What my argument boils down to is, we need kids weather they are an excellent student or a poor student, that their is more to learn out there than just what the people above them have to offer. If you limit the growth of a person, they will grow up stunted.