COERCION: THE ACHILLES' HEEL OF EDUCATION
SOCIOLOGICAL ESSAY
by
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About the Book
My goal in writing this book is not to try to instruct you or to indoctrinate you. It’s rather to present you with a menu of theories, reflections and certain facts concerning civilization and its difficulties in advancing to the next level. That next level, for me, would be to take heed of and to put into practice the 2600 year old Golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. It’s a rule that everybody understands, but somehow, we have not yet succeeded to apply it at all levels of the world’s societies. Family is the institution where we apply it the most; although more in some than in others. The school is an institution where the golden rule is sacrificed in great part due to its coercive approach and its lame pedagogy. The government is the institution where it’s the least applied, due to corruption and abuse of power, and the omnipresent coercion towards other countries and towards its own citizen. Is it to say that we’re doomed and that there’s nothing to be done? I tried …and hope I succeeded in answering that question in this book.
About the Author
As in a long pregnancy, I carried this book in my heart and soul since 1968-1969. In my fourth year of teaching at the Polyvalent School in Carleton, Quebec, I began to think seriously about the nature of the school system in Canada and in Quebec in particular. And of course, the thought of writing a book on the subject came to mind. I’m not qualified to write this book ...I mean ...I’m not a college Prof, a psychologist or a sociologist. I was involved in the school system for nearly 17 years as a student and for 6 years as a teacher. During those six years I refused to do what I considered harmful to students. I quit teaching after six years despite a very generous offer from my principal. He offered me a position of Principal’s Assistant with double the salary. I declined his offer and I resigned on the spot. I could no longer endure the policy of the school board or the coercive attitude of the school system.