The End of Education: Not as Final as I Thought

            The experience I had in reading Postman’s The End of Education was notably better than what I anticipated. When I had read his work, Amusing Ourselves to Death, I had come to appreciate Postman and his argument but was not wholly swayed by him. However, after reading The End of Education I can say I am much more enthusiastic about Postman. In reading the critical analysis of modern education, its roles in society, and what society expects of school, I found many of my prior musings on education to be echoed by Postman. In the end, I came away from the text with a stronger sense of my own opinions and beliefs regarding the modern school system.

            During the summer between by Sophomore and Junior year of high school, I experienced a bit of a metaphysical crisis. Over the two-month interim between school years, I had more time than normal to think, and more subjects than normal to think about. In my contemplations, I developed a startling realization that I faced a potential future of no fulfillment. Within a few years, I would be going off to college, and I had very little sense of what career I desired to pursue. But my wonderings of career led to lifestyle, and potential futures of society, then of the world. Soon enough, my pursuit to get good grades, then a good job, then maybe a house seemed incredibly petty and insignificant in the broader scope of existence.

            Why on Earth am I talking about my mental anxieties? Postman, in End of Education, explores an issue with modern society that directly links back to my stress during my summer of crisis. I have come to realize that Postman’s argument on modern “gods” that fail society is the same notion I arrived at a few years ago. I felt a hole, a pit, opening up in my near future, and realized that my entire drive for schooling needed a shift. In a similar way, Postman proposes his “Gods that may serve” within End of Education, and these gods certainly resonate with me.

            I felt particular attraction to Postman’s “Spaceship Earth” proposal. The emphasis on humanity as caretakers of one, great world-ship really spoke to me. In speaking on how we, as a species, should interact with the planet, Postman states that “we must make it. And to make it requires a consciousness of our interdependence, as well as an encouragement and legitimization of the effort (Postman 101).” The environment, as well as the sustainability of human existence, is a subject which leaps out at me as callings for study. All other issues, especially the persistent inter-conflict of our species, become incredibly irrelevant if the planet beneath our feet dies. Postman’s “Spaceship Earth” narrative reflects a lot of the beliefs I have developed regarding human priorities. Yet he also gives the narrative a very human perspective through his encouragement of humanist approaches to subjects. Postman believes that educators must give “attention to the history of ‘subjects’ so that there might be some understanding of how, when, and why subjects were formed (Postman 103).” By having society examine where we have been as a species, what we have done, and the methods of our actions, we can better come to understand ourselves now and give direction to our future.

            While some of Postman’s recommendations are, as he freely admits, a little curious, he raises very valid arguments regarding modern education. I sincerely appreciated his work, as I finally found the words to describe my impressions of society. A new voice has been given to me for solidifying my metaphysical ideas.

Work Cited

Postman, Neil. The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. New York: Vintage            Books, 1996. Print.