Response to The Need for Teaching Critical Literacy

Humaira Z said...

This is an issue even today.
In our school, classes reserved for critical thinking is for our honor students. Most of our resources are pooled for our honors classes. For the rest of the population, the classroom is overcrowded, abbreviated books are given and no technology incorporated. The process just dumbs down our students and doesn't help nurture their abilities to do better. The focus for the lower level students is to make sure that they pass their regents and get a high school diploma. If they go to college or not is not of the school's concern. We celebrate when our honors students go to great colleges, but the school does not celebrate any achievements of the lower level students. The students are aware that they are in the "dumb classes" and they accept it. They do not even fight for a higher education, they believe that a high school diploma is good enough for them, and that life after will be easy and prosperous. They are not meant to be the "elite", they are meant to be the managed workers for the elite. WHen they are not critical thinkers, they are individuals who take orders and perform tasks.