What struck me as interesting in this first chapter, was that a large portion of Apple's discussion was based around politics and religion. It is as if these are the two principles which underlie education and as a result, dictate how one should be taught and what we should be teaching. I found it ironic when now there is the issue of the "seperation of church and state" (pg. 19-20). This wasn't always the case - when schools were first started, many taught lessons from the Bible and based their teaching around Godly thoughts and ideas. Now, public schools can not even discuss God or religious ideas unless it is part of a historical text. There are no prayers, religion classes, chapel services, etc. If you want those things, then students can or will attend private schools. However, with the rise of tuition costs and the economic hardships that families face, enrollment has decreased in private schools.
At the beginning of Apple's chapter, I found I could relate to his introduction - the idea that many people today are talking about education whether casually or in a heated argument/debate. There are many education movements out there and as Apple said, "All these movements are swirling around simultaneously. Each has "the" answer, if only we would follow them. I want to stop the swirl for a little while in order to make sense of them" (pg.2-3). Exactly which IS the right way to educate? Or are there many right ways? I hope to find this out as we explore the book further.
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