Author Postman Calls for School Rejuvenation

Author Neil Postman called for a spiritual rejuvenation of the public school system last night in a speech about his book, The End of Education, at the Graduate School of Education.

His book is the latest in his succession of critiques of American society. Postman, a professor of communications at New York University, has also written Technopoly and Amusing Ourselves To Death.

Postman argued last night that the public schools will be eradicated by privatization without a unifying idea to shape the curriculum.

He pointed to the expulsion of "God with a capital G" from the schools and the breakdown of ideals as evidence of the spiritual bankruptcy of public education.

"Schools need at their core a transcendent ides that uplifts their purpose, shapes their curriculum and helps to create a public mind," Postman said.

Postman described "false" approaches to education that he maintained in his book are corrupting the school system. He included economic utility as such a false philosophy.

"The idea of teaching students how to make a living, not a life, has no transcendent meaning," the conservative author said.

Also, Postman criticized the "God of separatism" in the schools.

He said that the increasing multiculturalism in the curriculum will lead to complete privatization.

"While cultural pluralism can be accommodated in a unifying American story, tribalism will end the public mind," Postman said.

But Postman expressed hope for the future of public schools and offered several possible guiding ideas.

He said the study of "America as an experiment" could shape the curriculum.

"The American narrative a unique, youthful, admirable and open to possibilities," he said. "It works as a transcendent, unifying story."

He also presented the motif of "Spaceship Earth" as a possible idea to invigorate the public education.

"Humans as caretakers of our fragile space capsule evokes a sense of responsibility and community for students," he said.

Some questions from the audience of 200 were combative, but Postman handled them with good humor.

When one questioner posed a particularly abstract query to Postman about individuality, he responded "Are you talking to me?

He also presented the motif of "Spaceship Earth" as a possible idea to invigorate the public education.

"Humans as caretakers of our fragile space capsule evokes a sense of responsibility and community for students," he said.

Some questions from the audience of 200 were combative, but Postman handled them with good humor.

When one questioner posed a particularly abstract query to Postman about individuality, he responded "Are you talking to me?