Introduction
The Uses of “Diversity” is Kozol’s seventh letter from the book Letters to a Young Teacher. The chapter is anchored on the contention that despite the civil rights movements that rocked America in the 1950s and 1960s, inequality and segregation in the U.S. educational system still exist today (Kozol, 2007). Kozol condemns curricula and administrators that emphasize the significance of diversity and applaud the desegregation movement from years back while neglecting the realities that children face nowadays. He applauds educators who discover imaginative and considerate methods to impart difficult facts to children. Kozol’s thoughts are heavily inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose essay On Education is well-known for its thought-provoking nature. Emerson contends that society attempts to stifle geniuses by encouraging conformance. The child’s brilliance is compromised in the course of education for “a neat and safe uniformity” (Emerson, 2003). The student’s uniqueness is abandoned, rendering the “possibilities of his nature” undiscovered, blocked, and interrupted (Emerson, 2003). Accordingly, based on Emerson’s insights, Kozol concludes that rather than division in diversity, there ought to be cohesion in diversity and the education of children.
Education Should Have a Moral Basis
Emerson argues that the purpose of education must be comparable to the purpose of life. Thus, education should emphasize values and self-confidence and “stimulate the young man’s interest in himself” (Emerson, 2003). He believes that pupils should have the will to study with no outside influence from society and that “a parent or elder” should not push “his perspective and manner of thought and being on a young soul that is unsuitable for it” (Emerson, 2003). This action would replace the child’s brilliance by transforming him into a copy of the common opinion. In this regard, Emerson believes that the schooling of American children should have a moral compass that directs learners on the importance of education in their lives. Kozol expresses similar concerns in The Uses of “Diversity,” where he argues that the American curricula brush over segregation as a resolved issue by teaching children about the heroics of the past generation of students who participated in civil rights movements to show their defiance of racist practices. Kozol provides compelling illustrations to support his views, contextualizing them within Emerson’s standpoint.
The first problem lies in the content of American school lesson plans. For the most part, schools use lesson plans to extol the civil rights movements while avoiding any mention of the conflicts now taking place in the present day that are of a similar magnitude. As an illustration, he notes that some Black children in the 1950s and 1960s openly defied orders and walked into previously all-white schools amid jeers from white folks and possible assault from federal marshals or police (Kozol, 2007). Kozol observes that although these stories are essential, they do not provide youngsters any clue that the majority of the triumphs they commemorate have been nullified by “more polite but no less implacable arrangements for the isolation of black children like themselves” (Kozol, 2007). Therefore, Kozol concurs with Francesca that teachers are deceiving their students if they fail to address these incorrect perceptions.
Therefore, Kozol concludes that permitting the students to accept the notion that segregation is a disgraceful relic of America’s distant past for which it has been absolved rather than a contemporary component of their everyday lives and education is morally wrong. This whitewashing of the disconcerting realities of the civil rights era denies children the opportunity to weigh right from wrong from a personal perspective. In other words, American children are not being imparted with the hard truths that would allow them to relate the problems of previous generations with their existence.
Education Should Develop the Unique Potential of Every Child
Emerson believed in cultivating each person’s unique ability, regardless of what that potential may entail. Every individual has confidence in their authority and the ability to grow. According to Emerson, this explains why a person’s career in business may last decades or longer (Emerson, 2003). Therefore, the curriculum should include constant training on nature’s mental and physical rules. Without a direct relationship with nature and the application of knowledge, it is impossible to accumulate wealth (Emerson, 2003). When a child’s higher faculties are developed, they will gain the wisdom and virtue needed to excel in life. Thus, education is a never-ending struggle with people’s active faculties, an exhaustive examination of every possible course of action, and a building up of power. Kozol’s emphasis on the need to help children grow into successful adults and reach their full potential is seen in a quote he remembers receiving from a black teacher in New York:
“You see,” he said, “to the very poor black children that I teach… it doesn’t matter much what bridge you might have stood on thirty years ago. They want to know what bridge you stand on now” (Kozol, 2007, 614).
Kozol highlights this quote because it illustrates the flaws of the American curricula. It ignores the importance of teaching children the importance of their past, which is crucial in giving them a better understanding of who they are as individuals. Instead, children are taught to focus on what is important at the present moment. Studying history encourages students to delve further into the status quo, which in turn helps them better understand contemporary challenges. For instance, black children may be motivated to become advocates for human rights if they are exposed to information on the persecution of African American civil rights campaigners. An educational system that does not want children to grasp the specifics of their history deprives them of the ability to put things in perspective and gain insight into those contexts and events. Emerson opines that education is “a constant teaching of the laws of matter and mind” (Emerson, 2003). Without this knowledge, Kozol suggests that children will lack the motivation and sense of direction regarding who they want to be in the future. In short, education should provide children with a sense of direction as they work towards reaching their potential.
All Children Deserve Equal Education Opportunity
Some see Emerson’s faith in the individual learner as wildly idealistic and naively unrealistic. However, as one can see, he maintains the correct perspective on the education problem. Emerson recognizes and, more significantly, welcomes diversity among students. He provides society with a beginning point, the monitoring of each student, and an awareness of their diverse fascinations, abilities, personalities, and capacities (Emerson, 2003). This provides a lot more practical possibility than the convention’s fixation on a compulsory curriculum for everyone. Emerson encourages people who would question the existing orthodoxy of educational philosophy and action. He reminds people throughout his articles that the established realities of human reasoning are there for the upsetting.
Consistently, Kozol’s essay, which is based on an investigation of many schools in the U.S., asserts that there is no equality in education in America. In one document, he observed that the school board of a school in the state of New York referred to “the diversity” and “rich variations” in the “ethnic backgrounds” of kids attending its schools (Kozol, 2007). However, upon examining the racial statistics that the district had provided to the state, he discovered that 2,800 children of black and Hispanic origin, one child of Asian descent, and three white children were registered in the system (Kozol, 2007). To this end, Kozol argues that if school boards cannot bring themselves to refer to things by their names, it should not be surprising that instructional materials correspondingly use such false wording.
Good Educators Defend Principles
Teachers in elementary schools uphold the worth and dignity of every participant while cultivating an atmosphere that values diversity and encourages respect for it. In this context, Emerson advises teachers to “Have the self-command you wish to inspire…See what they need and that the right thing is done” (Emerson, 2003). Here, Emerson posits that the educator understands the paramount significance of the search for the truth, commitment to excellence, and cultivation of democratic ideals because they believe in the dignity and worth of every individual. Accordingly, the preservation of the right to teach and study freely and the assurance of equal access to education for all people are essential to achieving these aims. The duty to uphold the highest ethical standards is one that the educator embraces.
Similarly, Kozol claims that new educators are responsible for safeguarding the values of education. He points to Francesca, who encourages and supports her creative endeavors by maintaining order in the classroom. According to Kozol, “The most effective educators achieve this not by yelling at their students but by winning the affection of their pupils…This makes pupils less likely to want to make things difficult for themselves” (Kozol, 2007). This way, parents will provide positive feedback to the principal about the teacher. Teachers who uphold principles are good role models to young children.
Education Should Not Be Restricted
Emerson believes that there is no single method of teaching young children. He states, “Education should be as broad as man…” (Emerson, 2003). Thus, teachers should not restrict children’s learning to what is prescribed in the curriculum. Instead, teachers should be explorative with their teaching to enhance children’s imagination. Kozol borrows this idea and advises educators to take advantage of the additional free time created by abandoning scripted curricula to devote more time to studying excellent literature and fostering a love of language in young students (Kozol, 2007). That was something that he saw when he was with Francesca. Kozol makes it quite evident that this lady is an outstanding new educator. She did not waste time getting him started on his assignments when he entered the classroom. He talked about her lesson as if it were a work of poetry, describing how poetic and exquisite it was. Hence, Kozol believes that teachers should emulate Francesca.
Conclusion
The Uses of “Diversity” is a clear testament to Jonathan Kozol’s commitment to children’s education. To defend his ideas, he borrows heavily from the principles of education that Ralph Waldo Emerson outlines in his essay, On Education. These principles are relevant to teachers today and should be used to shape children’s curricula by policymakers. Educators should embrace Kozol’s ideas as they assert that upholding diversity benefits all students. Diversity in education helps everyone by valuing students’ uniqueness despite race or financial status.
References
Emerson, R. W. (2003). Education: An essay and other selections. Honolulu: University Press of the Pacific.
Kozol, J. (2007). Letters to a young teacher. New York: Three Rivers Press.