I recently attended the screening of a documentary film at the
Community and Cultural Center. The title of the film,
”
Race to Nowhere,
”
caught my attention because it dealt with our schools. As a
parent of children currently in college, high school and middle
school, I wanted to know more about this race and how it applied to
my family.
I recently attended the screening of a documentary film at the Community and Cultural Center. The title of the film, “Race to Nowhere,” caught my attention because it dealt with our schools. As a parent of children currently in college, high school and middle school, I wanted to know more about this race and how it applied to my family. By the sheer number of parents that attended the screening, there were many that wanted to know as well.
The film takes a provocative view of our achievement-obsessed education system and culture. It tackles a broad range of topics from questioning the benefits of elementary school homework assignments to teen depression and suicide. The film claims that major side-effects of the achievement-driven system are depression, eating disorders, binge drinking, drug abuse and rampant cheating. Burnt-out high school students who get to college are in no shape to do higher-level thinking and be productive.
From my own parenting experience, I found myself either nodding “been there, done that” or thinking “not applicable.” For me, there were two important messages reaffirmed in the film. One, listen closely to your children; and two, instill in them a passion for learning. I know, easier said than done.
The film commented on the over-scheduled child and the achievement-obsessed parent. It was emphasized that parents need to listen to their children and to be receptive to their changing needs.
For example, my eldest son played Pony baseball when he was young. By the time he had reached the Mustang level, he made the all-stars. We were proud of him, yet we noticed he seemed sullen during the final game. The following year during sign-ups, he said, “Daddy, I don’t want to play baseball anymore.” He didn’t have to articulate to me his reasons for not wanting to play baseball. In my heart, I knew. It was no longer fun for him to play at that level, because it was becoming more competitive. While he was athletic and skilled, his carefree attitude was no longer appreciated. His temperament and the sport were no longer compatible, so he quit.
Should I have intervened and encouraged him to continue playing? Maybe over time he would have learned to become more competitive and to enjoy both the game and the competition. If I had insisted, would he have played longer to please me instead of for his own enjoyment? Would it matter as long as my efforts produced a great player for the team?
This subtle parent trap of living vicariously through their children was addressed in the film. Not in sports but in academics. A group of college-bound students were interviewed. The high expectations placed upon them by their parents were universal: get good grades, get into a good college, get a good paying job so you can have and enjoy all those things we never had. The pressure to succeed was so great for one of the students that she wanted to quit, but she couldn’t because she didn’t want to let her parents down.
The ultimate goal of our education system is to create lifelong learners, yet the film says too often the system creates students who know how to “play school” but not necessarily learn.
When I was in high school, my English teacher told our class that a college degree was nothing more than a piece of paper announcing to everyone that you have the capacity to learn. However, over the decades, the shift to standardized tests and performance measures has created an attitude among students that if something is not on the test, why learn it? The pressure of getting good grades and getting into good colleges has dampened the desire to learn for learning’s sake.
In the film, human resource professionals from businesses that hire college graduates were interviewed. They said there was a growing trend among recent college graduates that lacked critical thinking skills to solve complex problems. As one interviewee put it, “If I ask for a report, the new hire will ask me how many pages long?” Instead of thinking outside the box – the mantra for creativity and innovation – college students are asking for the dimensions of the box and what they can and can’t place inside it.
The film’s producer attended the screening and answered audience questions. She offered a list of recommendations for parents, for communities, for school boards, and for school employees. She is optimistic that systemic changes will happen in both big and small ways when people come together to solve issues. The website is: www.racetonowhere.com.
Mario Banuelos has lived in Morgan Hill for 21 years. He has served on the south County Dayworker Committee and is a member of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation. He is married and has four children.
