Gatto - Against School

In this essay, Gatto, being a 30 year teacher giving him some ethos, uses a lot of Logos rhetoric to communicate that the school system is possibly flawed. He uses and asks a lot of questions that try and drag you into some pathos in this essay, these questions ask things like "Do we really need School" and "Could it be that our schools are designed to make sure not one of them ever really grows up?" These questions make you look into your own feelings and thoughts causing this pathos type rhetoric. His purpose seems to be mixed, by degrading schools and teachers and the school system while at the same time telling them that they can do a better job of teaching so that kids can, instead of being conformist or programed laborers, they can be leaders. I agree that we can always find better ways of doing things and kind of agree that sometimes the kids are babied throughout school and school has become a place where they have to practically have cushions on every wall so no one gets hurt, (mentally, emotionally, or physically). Of course there needs to be some saftey precations. However, I grew up doing drama and the state competitions we cancelled and changed into a state festival because everyone needed to be a winner and no one would get there feelings hurt if they didn't make it to the medal rounds. What then becomes the point of trying hard in making your piece the best if you don't get some sort of satisfaction of knowing you worked hard to become the best. why try harder if you aren't going to get anything out of it even if you aren't the best, there can still be improvement. Part of the message in this essay is that kids don't want to work hard because they don't get much out of it. They all have to do the same things and become what the teachers want them to be and not what they can be.