Topic > A Critique of Fremont High School, an article by Jonathan Koziol

In Freemont High School, written by Jonathan Kozol, the undesirable conditions of the schools are discussed. Even though the school is located in beautiful Los Angeles, the school is far from conducive. Many students, on any given day, are unable to eat, use the bathroom, or receive a worthwhile education. These school situations are not exclusive to just your high school, however, many experience the exact same situations. Social, economic and public issues distribute these issues across school units. Many teachers discussed in this article do not deserve the titles assigned to them. Instead of helping prepare students for their futures and college, they advise them to take unsafe courses (Kozol, data). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Sometimes I can relate directly. The recipients of this selection would certainly be both parents and students. However, this reading could certainly be extended to everyone, because the concern for these problems is in the hearts of many. Because, whether we like to acknowledge it or not, our schools are failing us. On the one hand, students are advantaged under favorable conditions, on the other, not so much. Conditions like those described in this article hinder the educational process and future of these young students, all students should have equality in their educational institutions. One of the first points Kozol made in this article stated, “the average ninth grader reads at a fourth grade level” (Kozol, p. 716, date). Generally, when students fail, they are held back. However, at this school located in Los Angeles, students are pushed all the way to graduation. How can you expect someone to succeed in life, when they are almost 5 years behind in their expectation? Kozol then goes on to explain how nearly a third of these ninth graders read at an even lower third-grade level. It raises questions for the audience about how this situation got to this point. This also demonstrates the degree of abandonment that surrounds a school system like this (Kozol, data). In general, Kozol said, high school students are reluctant to reveal their inner thoughts and emotions. However, he said this was simply not the case for Freemont High students. The students were told ahead of time that Kozol was indeed a writer, which gave them the perfect opportunity to reveal the harsh circumstances of their school. Many have called for changes. One of which was to allow more bathrooms. It has been claimed that Freemont High School has nearly 15 fewer bathrooms than required by law. But oh, does it get worse? Of all these functioning toilets, about one or two are open to girls. The public's attention is raised when they realize that this information was obtained from court documents. This indicates that even though the laws have been annulled, this school remains unchanged. For this reason, many students do not have convenient access to bathrooms (Kozal, data). These conditions are inhumane and it seems that nothing is being done to solve these problems. Next, the author goes on to discuss the extreme heat that many students face during the warmer seasons. Since there are no air conditioners, students have no choice but to sweat in overheated classrooms. Many of these students, Kozol claims, “because their faces are red and they can't concentrate” (Kozol, p. 719, date). While one might argue that these ideas are a bit exaggerated, they don't have to benever experienced. I personally have and can certainly back them up on that statement. Overheating can cause many problems, not only redness and loss of concentration, but also dehydration. I understand that school funding has decreased significantly, but fundraising could be done to make changes in the school. One of them is to include AC units in all classrooms at Fremont High School. Air conditioning is taken for granted, until the temperature rises, and nothing can be done to escape such heat (Kozol, date). Another example of how this school is inevitably holding children back from their potential was examined with the example of taking 'life skills' class. At first glance, this might not seem like a beneficial course that should be required of all students. However, after learning what the lesson was really about, you might change your opinion about it. This course doesn't really teach life skills like balancing a checkbook, learning measurements, or how to cook. This lesson basically taught students things they should have already learned several years ago. This limits students greatly, because they don't learn anything new, or even how to do basic things after graduation. School should not just teach the basics, but rather life skills that can benefit students later in life. Not to mention the fact that, due to overcrowding, many lessons that interest students, or even teachers, cannot be attended. Therefore, students are given little freedom or choice regarding the classes they can take. Students are left stuck in classes they don't need or will never use to help their future plans (Kozol, data). Many teachers also want to offer enrichment lessons, however, due to the amount of space, this is also impossible. Kozol stated, “Thus, instead of the enrichment that students might have gained by taking an elective course that had some academic substance, they were forced to take classes in which they were not enrolled and from which they said they learned virtually nothing” ( Kozol , p.723 date). This quote indicates that my thesis is correct, students are not encouraged or even allowed to thrive. Educational institutions should enable students to go as far as possible, not hold them back. These intelligent students are severely handicapped when they fail to utilize their intelligence to the fullest degree. Kozol, in this quote above, also used the rhetorical approach of emotion. The public is saddened that this is the reality of education in modern times. A school that does not encourage students to use their God-given abilities, but rather places them in the same courses as everyone else. This technique makes the audience realize the gravity of the situation in question. Where students are left behind, when they should be pushed forward. There are several possibilities as to why the author decided to write this article, the main one being to increase the likelihood that improvements will be implemented in educational institutions such as Fremont High School. Although this school has been the main focus of this essay, there are many other schools located in America that deal with the exact same things. Budget cuts are the main reason for this and it seems like budgets are getting smaller and smaller as the years go by. Schools are left with very little money and are expected to do a lot. The teachers,.