Absolutely love this poem... So glad I was exposed to this piece of work by one of the few amazing teachers I was privileged to be taught by.
<3
What they learn in school
Jerome stern
In the schools now, they want them to know all about
marijuana, crack, heroin, and amphetamines,
Because then they won't be interested in marijuana,
crack, heroin, and amphetamines,
But they don't want to tell them anything about sex
because if the schools tell them about sex, then they
will be interested in sex,
But if the schools don't tell them anything about sex,
Then they will have high morals, and no one will get
pregnant, and everything will be all right,
And they do want them to know a lot about computers so
they will out compete the Japanese,
But they don't want them to know anything about real
science because then they will lose their faith and
become secular humanists,
And they do want them to know all about this great land
of ours so they will be patriotic,
But they don't want them to learn about the tragedy and
pain in its real history because then they will be
critical about this great land of ours and we will be
passively taken over by a foreign power,
And they want them to learn how to think for themselves
so they can get good jobs and be successful,
But they don't want them to have books that confront
them with real ideas because that will confuse their
values,
And they'd like them to be good parents,
But they can't teach them about families because that
takes them back to how you get to be a family,
And they want to warn them about how not to get AIDS,
But that would mean telling them how not to get AIDS,
And they'd like them to know the Constitution,
But they don't like some of those amendments except
when they are invoked by the people they agree with,
And they'd like them to vote,
But they don't want them to discuss current events
because it might be controversial and upset them and
make them want to take drugs, which they already
have told them all about,
And they want to teach them the importance of morality,
But they also want them to learn that Winning is not
everything - it is the Only Thing,
And they want them to be well-read,
But they don't want them to read Chaucer or Shakespeare
or Aristophanes or Mark Twain or Ernest Hemingway
or John Steinbeck, because that will corrupt them,
And they don't want them to know anything about art
because that will make them weird,
But they do want them to learn about music so they can
march in the band,
And they mainly want to teach them not to question, not
to challenge, not to imagine, but to be obedient and
behave well so that they can hold them forever as
children to their bosom as the second millennium
lurches towards its panicky close.
marijuana, crack, heroin, and amphetamines,
Because then they won't be interested in marijuana,
crack, heroin, and amphetamines,
But they don't want to tell them anything about sex
because if the schools tell them about sex, then they
will be interested in sex,
But if the schools don't tell them anything about sex,
Then they will have high morals, and no one will get
pregnant, and everything will be all right,
And they do want them to know a lot about computers so
they will out compete the Japanese,
But they don't want them to know anything about real
science because then they will lose their faith and
become secular humanists,
And they do want them to know all about this great land
of ours so they will be patriotic,
But they don't want them to learn about the tragedy and
pain in its real history because then they will be
critical about this great land of ours and we will be
passively taken over by a foreign power,
And they want them to learn how to think for themselves
so they can get good jobs and be successful,
But they don't want them to have books that confront
them with real ideas because that will confuse their
values,
And they'd like them to be good parents,
But they can't teach them about families because that
takes them back to how you get to be a family,
And they want to warn them about how not to get AIDS,
But that would mean telling them how not to get AIDS,
And they'd like them to know the Constitution,
But they don't like some of those amendments except
when they are invoked by the people they agree with,
And they'd like them to vote,
But they don't want them to discuss current events
because it might be controversial and upset them and
make them want to take drugs, which they already
have told them all about,
And they want to teach them the importance of morality,
But they also want them to learn that Winning is not
everything - it is the Only Thing,
And they want them to be well-read,
But they don't want them to read Chaucer or Shakespeare
or Aristophanes or Mark Twain or Ernest Hemingway
or John Steinbeck, because that will corrupt them,
And they don't want them to know anything about art
because that will make them weird,
But they do want them to learn about music so they can
march in the band,
And they mainly want to teach them not to question, not
to challenge, not to imagine, but to be obedient and
behave well so that they can hold them forever as
children to their bosom as the second millennium
lurches towards its panicky close.
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