Failing In Schools By John Holt: Summary

In John Holt book there are four main topics he talks about, those topics are strategy, fear and failure, real learning and how school fails. Each of these topics led to the next and it showcased the problem from the beginning. In terms of themes in the book, Holt proceeds to state them in the first couple of pages when he proclaims “Most children in school fail…because they are afraid, bored and confused. That simple sentence sets up the majority of the book and answer the question of the book straightforward. The first theme he talks about is fear and how many children are afraid of school, but also scared of taking risk to actually discover true learning. The second theme is boredom, schools become a form of task and it hinders the abilities of the children due to the dull and repetitive assignments that they are given. Lastly, is the theme of confusion, many children in school are being taught things that negate what they are taught outside of school by adults or their parents. These …show more content…
I first hand could be a testament to all these factors, and how much it can affect a child long after school is over. I believe that there needs to be a change in school system because it is doing more damage to a child than benefitting, and perhaps one way is to look for new methods that aren’t dull, that explore the mind and peaks the curiosity of a child and keeps it there. There needs to be changes to atmosphere in school in early age, because a child would start to be believed that there are certain things that cannot be change or that don’t have an explanation. This atmosphere must be appealing to a child and not repulsive, because learning is suppose to be an enjoyment and not a form of task. Lastly, is too value the student inputs thoroughly, and accommodate to others and come to understanding that there are different way to learn.