Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich

by Seda Karlı / METU – FLE

When a person looks at the title of the book, s/he can say what an odd book or what an impossible idea it is. However, I believe that after reading the book and getting into the reasons the author puts forward, it can be easily understood that this idea has a reality in our society. As you see, the book was written by Ivan Illich and its title is ‘Deschooling Society’. For us having involved in educational life since our birth, it is an interesting and unimaginable title. In our country, a common person has an educational life which continues for 16 years. For that reason, ‘deschooling society’ is an idea that many of us can’t understand and accept.

In this book, the author says that many services like health, education and religion in the society have institutionalized and these services have become industries. His biggest claim in the book is that the school has an effect which is opposed to the education in whole world. He denies that the school is expert in education. And, he claims that people are exploited more by the schools because of their fanaticism for the schools while there must be other type of effect. Another attractive idea by Illich is that increasing of the schools is as threatening as increasing of weapons. This situation is difficult to imagine for us, but it is real. Ivan Illich makes a mention of schools’ cost for the society and says that none of the countries is rich enough to meet demands that the school system creates because a successful school system causes to families and students for bigger school system.

On the contrary to our idea that schools provide equality in society, Ivan Illich says  a child rarely reaches opportunities of a rich child by having the same school education. He believes that they will not be equal even if everything is done because in terms of at least one perspective, they can’t have the same opportunities to reach the same achievements. He says that providing equal opportunity for education is an aim which is both applicable and desirable, but believing the fact that this equal opportunity is possible thanks to only the schools is illogical. According to Ivan Illich, poor people learn to live in a  poor life by dreaming to be rich. The laws in these people’s countries make a long education compulsory and the minority of the society in those countries can participate in all education process.

The author objects to available systems and he protests functioning of the institutions. First institution that he has side against is school. According to him, the school brings forth a lifestyle which is unquestionable because of its hidden curriculum. People enter into this system and they are not aware of where they are. There is no questioning or objection to this system. As an industry, the school limits the teachers’ abilities and they can’t go beyond from what they are expected. They necessarily depend on uniformity which is set for them by the system. In Illich’s opinion, today the school has the role of education and the police has the role of security. Namely, he claims that each role is owned by only one institution while they are shared by all the society.

The author also mentions how learning occurs. According to him, most of learning does not occur in the school. A person acquires most of the information from outside sources, not the schools. He says we learn to think, speak, play, feel, love and work without the teacher’s intervention, but the lessons are taught in the schools although many people do not go to the school in their whole life. The students learn their knowledge both without teachers and in spite of teachers. With the schools, they involve in an academic process so as to be happy in the environments where there are consumers who are only products of education factory. Also, Ivan Illich thinks that the school teaches us that teaching produces learning. However, there is a fact that teaching a lot does not mean learning enough. The school makes people in need of the school and people do not believe that they will not able to learn with their own attempts. The school does not give people a chance to develop themselves. And also, the school shows the students’ qualifications with a diploma and owns the power and time of people who participate in it. For example, the teacher becomes guard.

The author also mentions what the school sells. According to him, the school sells

1)      a curriculum

2)      the students who are consumers

In Illich’s opinion, the curriculum is adapted according to the same process and the same structure which other commercial properties have and is sold  by the school. This is a packet of values determined by a person  and presented to people with the aim of meeting the cost of production. One person determines when and what other people will learn and this approach is common in all the schools without any objection. Ivan Illich thinks that the schools are so enslaving that none of us do not expect to be free from them. Although the schools are believed to have a function of providing critical judgement, they make people slaves more. The presence of the schools creates the need for them like any other services. For example, the producers of cars produce both cars and demands for them. Like consumers of those cars, students become consumers of a packet which is determined by other people and they can’t demand another one.

The author sees the school as a social problem because of these facts and suggests some solutions. According to him, first of all, we should change political and economic system. We must provide an opportunity to establish new relationships with the world for people instead of filling the information in people’s brains with teachers. Also, we can support learning that is self-motivated. Moreover, the sovereignty of the school and teachers should be eliminated in the society.

I do not know whether ‘deschooling society’ is possible with these solutions or not, but I believe that everyone should read this book in order to get out of the available scenario in the society and be aware of real functions of the institutions.

About the author:

He was born in 1921 in Vienna. He studied Theology and Philosophy in Rome. He went to America. He worked in a church as an acolyte there and became an assistant to rector in a university in Porto Rico. Celebration of Awareness, Tools for Conviviality, Energy and Equity and Medical Nemesis are some of his books.