What is the role of public education in creating citizens? What types of citizens do we need in this changing society?

When it comes to creating citizens, public education should focus on educating them on the democratic government that we are all a part of in the United States.  In the past, the educational system was focused on creating homogeneous citizens who were robotic and assimilated to follow the “American way.”  I actually believe that this type of system creates the idiotic citizens that Parker speaks about in his article that we read.  Schools are not focused on children learning how to think analytically and critically; they are more focused on the Three R’s and lesson’s based around some falsified information about our nation’s history.  I do not believe that public education should take this role because it takes away the individualization of our students and their ability to think rationally.  They can all follow and respect the “American way” without having to act them same, look the same, or think the same way.

I believe that we need a mixture of the participatory and justice-oriented type of citizen in this changing society.  There are too many individuals who are standing idle while the world around them continues to be controlled by the “people in power.”  For instance, President Obama won last year’s elections because of the unified power of many people who were tired of how this nation was being operated.  Many of these individuals who voted will now stand idle until there is another crisis that affects them so strongly that they feel their vote will make a difference.  I believe that we can create a nation of rational and analytical individuals by ensuring that everyone either participates in our democratic government or takes a stand for anything that they believe is wrong with it and try to make a change.