John Taylor Gatto on Dumbness and Schooling

„The shocking possibility that dumb people don't exist in sufficient numbers to warrant the millions of careers devoted to tending them will seem incredible to you. Yet that is my central proposition: the mass dumbness which justifies official schooling first had to be dreamed of; it isn't real.“

John Taylor GattoJohn Taylor Gatto critiques the assumptions behind official schooling and questions the supposed existence of mass dumbness.
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John Taylor Gatto was an American teacher and school critic known for his critique of the traditional school system.

In this pointed quotation, John Taylor Gatto questions the assumptions behind official schooling and mass education.


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John Taylor Gatto (1935–2018) was an award-winning American teacher, author, and critic of the public school system. He was known for his sharp critique of traditional schools and advocated for alternative educational approaches. Gatto questioned the mechanisms and goals of the schooling system and promoted self-directed learning.

Quote by Henry Louis Mencken about the true aim of public educationCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"The most erroneous assumption is to the effect that the aim of public education is to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence, and so make them fit to discharge the duties of citizenship in an enlightened and independent manner. Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever the pretensions of politicians, pedagogues and other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else." Henry Louis Mencken
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Quote by Bertrand Russell about educational systems designed to control peopleCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"Educational systems have been developed not to impart genuine knowledge but to make the people docile to the will of the rulers. Without a sophisticated system of deception in schools, it would be impossible to maintain the appearance of democracy. It is not desired that ordinary citizens think for themselves. Because it is believed that people who think for themselves are difficult to handle. Only the elites are supposed to think. The rest are supposed to obey and follow their leaders, like a herd of mutton. This doctrine has corrupted all state education systems from the ground up, even in democracies." Bertrand Russell
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Quote by Georg Schramm discussing the societal role of demotivated secondary school dropoutsCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"Do we even need these demotivated, disillusioned secondary school dropouts for growth? No! Every DAX corporation proves in its quarterly report that the fewer of such poorly qualified people they have, the greater the growth. No, we only need them as consumers. And if we only need them as consumers, then a fair amount of stupidity can only be helpful. Maybe we are breeding them! Just think about it for a moment, then all the contradictions dissolve; although the anger grows even greater, the intellectual confusion subsides! […] And what does that mean in a country where poverty is currently exploding? That they are breeding a solid class of idiots. […] Also, the consumer centers, maybe even in your federal state, are having their funds cut. Not a wrong decision either. Why? Well, the rabble shouldn't think, hesitate, or compare. They should buy the first piece of rubbish offered during the commercial break. […] We need idiots; otherwise no one would eat spoiled meat." Georg Schramm
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John Taylor Gatto quote about schooling, education, and obedienceCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"I've noticed a fascinating phenomenon in my twenty-five years of teaching - that schools and schooling are increasingly irrelevant to the great enterprises of the planet. No one believes anymore that scientists are trained in science classes or politicians in civics classes or poets in English classes. The truth is that schools don't really teach anything except how to obey orders." John Taylor Gatto
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Erich Fromm quote on thinking, happiness, and societyCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"Well now, I believe we are much less stupid than it seems. We are trained not to think. Formulas are drilled into us, which we parrot. But I believe that if the desire for true happiness, for true knowledge were to fully awaken among people in society – what the Enlightenment called with Kant's words: Sapere aude! Dare to know! – and not to consume canned wisdom that someone else has cooked and served, and then even experienced oneself as if I had thought such a thing... I believe that tremendous change could be achieved. People are not that stupid at all. But it is dangerous not to be stupid. Because if you are not stupid, you contradict, criticize, express unpopular opinions. And for safety reasons, it is better to appear stupid." Erich Fromm
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Quote by Frank Zappa on schools stifling creativity and critical thoughtCopyright © yoice.net – Quote Artwork
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"Schools train people to be ignorant, with style. They give you the equipment that you need to be a functional ignoramus. American schools* do not equip you to deal with things like logic; they don’t give you the criteria by which to judge between good and bad in any medium or format; and they prepare you to be a usable victim for military-industrial complex that needs manpower. As long as you’re just smart enough to do a job and just dumb enough to swallow what they feed you, you’re gonna be alright. But if you go beyond that then you’re gonna have these grave doubts that give you stomach problems, headaches…make you want to go out and do something else. So, I believe that schools mechanically and very specifically try and breed out any hint of creative thought in the kids that are coming out." Frank Zappa
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John Taylor Gatto on School and ChurchJohn Taylor Gatto quote about school becoming a replacement for churchCopyright © yoice.net – Quote ArtworkQuote by Padmé Amidala about democracy and the republicCopyright © yoice.net – Quote ArtworkPadmé Amidala Quote: Shocking Truth About Democracy and the Republic!