Waiting for “Superman” is a film that reveals the problems of education in the United States that are known to many people and those rarely discussed by the public. I find that showing these issues through ordinary people’s stories makes it more personal and understandable for viewers. Consequently, Waiting for Superman inspires people to take action and shows that a shared effort is needed to change the education system.
All the stories in the film resonated with me emotionally; however, the story of little Bianca overwhelmed me the most. Such feelings are probably caused by injustice created by an imperfect social system for people who strive for a better life and are willing to work hard for this. Bianca wants to study, and she is ready to work, but her mother does not have the money to pay for her quality education, and they can only hope for luck. The saddest thing is that Bianca understands and feels this injustice despite her young age, and when they do not win the lottery, these feelings are expressed on her face (Guggenheim, 2010). Children should not face such injustice at such an early age.
New information for me was the facts about the disadvantages of trade unions’ work, which actually hinder the development of education in public schools. I did not know that some teachers, despite their many shortcomings, cannot be fired (Guggenheim, 2010). These facts, as well as the high level of dropouts, lead me to believe that the most significant force in changing the education system lies with politicians. They can direct resources to improve the studying, living, and working conditions of people and enact laws to address education quality problems. However, the community, teachers, parents, and students also play an essential role in the reformation, since only they can attract attention to issues and should make efforts to improve educational standards. Consequently, in general, the film showed me that the educational system’s problems are also associated with various shortcomings of other systems, both social and legal. For this reason, societies must address them systematically and comprehensively to achieve noticeable results.
Reference
Guggenheim, D. (2010). Waiting for “Superman” [Film]. Participant, Electric Kinney Films, Walden Media.