In 1989, the movie Lean on Me was produced to display the overwhelming transformation of gang-ridden, poorly conditioned Eastside High School in Paterson, New Jersey. By the end of the movie, the school had taken a 180 degree turn, with students that were successful and well-behaved. The main issue of this movie, however, lies not in the apparent plot, but in the underlying messages it bears about education and curriculum. The educational system which this movie advocates goes strictly against some of the views of the prominent educational philosopher John Dewey. At the same time, the methods the movie puts into practice goes against the developmentalist view of education and curriculum. The message the movie Lean on Me presents regarding the
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Students are selling drugs, there is graffiti on the walls, teenagers are violently attacking one another, and the school is in downright outrageous conditions. The author of the movie portrays the students to be the definition of success. It is the status of the students, and how they stand before the public eye, that allows the audience to make a definitive conclusion on the teaching methods introduced. The students are, in essence, failing in every aspect of life: academically, morally, and socially. It is not until Mr. Clark arrives with his rather dictatorship persona that the school begins its dramatic transformation into the school we see in the conclusion of the movie: a safer environment with successful, happy students. The introduction of Mr. Clark to the school did not only mean a change of principles, but it also meant a transformation of the basic ideas of curriculum and education in the school as a whole. Therefore, the authors of the movie seem to suggest that Mr. Clark represents the movie’s perceptions on education, and the students represent the outcome of the educational practices …show more content…
The authors of the movie send their messages through the character of Mr. Clark: their movie Lean on Me advocates what Dewey refers to as “external imposition and dictation,” as the solution to educational systems (Dewey, 1926, p. 149). As Dewey explains, this method is an extreme that has been used previously in schools and has failed to produce an effective educational institution. According to Dewey, the major problem most schools face in teaching their students “consists in the relation of individuality and its adequate development to the work and responsibilities of the teacher, representing accumulated experience of the past.” (Dewey, 1926, p. 149). In other words, Dewey believes that the main issue with many schools is that they constrict the student’s originality and instead force students to follow strict guidelines that a teacher requires from her students. If that is the case, Dewey points out those students never develop a passion or an ability to work independently without strict rules in place. Instead, they follow along mediocrely, exerting just enough effort to achieve certain goals. Lean on Me offers an opposing perspective, as I have noted above with Mr. Clark, advocating strongly for a strict technique in order to create successful and even passionate students. Students are, just as Dewey points out, initially following
Students are selling drugs, there is graffiti on the walls, teenagers are violently attacking one another, and the school is in downright outrageous conditions. The author of the movie portrays the students to be the definition of success. It is the status of the students, and how they stand before the public eye, that allows the audience to make a definitive conclusion on the teaching methods introduced. The students are, in essence, failing in every aspect of life: academically, morally, and socially. It is not until Mr. Clark arrives with his rather dictatorship persona that the school begins its dramatic transformation into the school we see in the conclusion of the movie: a safer environment with successful, happy students. The introduction of Mr. Clark to the school did not only mean a change of principles, but it also meant a transformation of the basic ideas of curriculum and education in the school as a whole. Therefore, the authors of the movie seem to suggest that Mr. Clark represents the movie’s perceptions on education, and the students represent the outcome of the educational practices …show more content…
The authors of the movie send their messages through the character of Mr. Clark: their movie Lean on Me advocates what Dewey refers to as “external imposition and dictation,” as the solution to educational systems (Dewey, 1926, p. 149). As Dewey explains, this method is an extreme that has been used previously in schools and has failed to produce an effective educational institution. According to Dewey, the major problem most schools face in teaching their students “consists in the relation of individuality and its adequate development to the work and responsibilities of the teacher, representing accumulated experience of the past.” (Dewey, 1926, p. 149). In other words, Dewey believes that the main issue with many schools is that they constrict the student’s originality and instead force students to follow strict guidelines that a teacher requires from her students. If that is the case, Dewey points out those students never develop a passion or an ability to work independently without strict rules in place. Instead, they follow along mediocrely, exerting just enough effort to achieve certain goals. Lean on Me offers an opposing perspective, as I have noted above with Mr. Clark, advocating strongly for a strict technique in order to create successful and even passionate students. Students are, just as Dewey points out, initially following