John Taylor Gatto's Fourteen Distinctive Themes of Elite Private Boarding Schools
Want to learn from past experiences, lead effectively during our present troubles and create a glorious future? Then understand & use the teachings championed by elite private boarding schools.
Back in the 1990’s, American author and schoolteacher John Taylor Gatto identified three primary and eleven secondary themes taught as part of the core curriculum in elite private boarding schools.
Taken together, the fourteen distinctive themes are concepts and methodologies which help to differentiate the thought processes of the “elites,” from the rest of us.
The three primary themes are:
A “practical” theory of human nature, essentially a working knowledge of how to get people to do what you want, using techniques acquired from a study of history, philosophy, theology, literature and law.
Mastery of the “active” literacies of writing and public speaking, not just reading, to effectively utilize language to communicate and persuade. Reading is considered by elite schools to be a “passive” literacy, a necessary starting place to begin when gaining full literacy through public speaking and writing, but insufficient by itself for two-way, persuasive communication.
Insight into the major institutional and societal forms, including the details of how organizations function and the ideas which drive institutions like courts, corporations, legislative bodies and the military.
According to Gatto, the eleven secondary themes taught as part of the core curriculum of elite private boarding schools include:
The understanding and ongoing practice of the refined traditions of etiquette, poise and social grace - the subtle codes that allows access to exclusive circles of influence. Polite, interesting people normally get invited to better events.
The importance of ongoing independent work to teach personal responsibility and gain mastery over the environment. Don’t depend on others to accomplish goals. Don’t blame others for your defeats.
The mastery of “energetic physical sports.” Sports aren’t just useful for their ability to help an individual “blow off steam.” They confer “grace” on human activities, build confidence and assist with learning how to deal with emergencies and physical pain. A mastery of physical sports conveys to observers the perception of vigor, presence and the ability to exude power.
A practical theory of how to gain access to any person or workplace environment, plus how to use the access to learn through direct experience instead of through second hand accounts from books or videos.
Personal responsibility as an absolute essential requirement of the curriculum. It’s not just chores, the student’s are often required to accept full responsibility for the care and feeding of a large pet or take over some important community service. They are taught to always deliver more than asked and grab for responsibility when offered. It’s a world where accepting radical responsibility is expected, where you're groomed to constantly over-deliver on every task.
The development of a personal code of standards in production, behavior and morality to judge yourself and others.
A familiarity, competence, comfort and ease in the high arts and culture that elevates the human experience. One must cultivate a refined appreciation for beauty and become a keen observer, if only because the arts are the only subject which transcends the “animal materiality” of human lives.
An understanding of the power of accurate observation and recording. If you cannot draw or describe what you see with your own eyes, you do not truly understand what you’re viewing.
The practical ability to deal with challenges of all sorts. If the student falls down, they must learn to stand back up and carry on.
A habit of caution, particularly when reasoning to conclusions. More evidence is normally better but one can ever possess fully a complete understanding of all possible paths. So draw conclusions, but keep an eye on things. As new evidence becomes available, always be prepared to revise those conclusions.
The constant development and testing of judgement. Through the use of rigorous logic and critical thinking, learn to independently separate truth from falsehood unassisted.
It's important to note that Gatto, an educator bitterly critical of traditional public schooling even as he spent decades working within it, wasn't simply advocating the adaption of the themes listed above in all educational circumstances.
Gatto understood that the tasks elite private boarding schools trained their students to take on were substantially different from the far more passive roles that government run mass-education typically trains students to enter.
Not everyone can, or should, become an independent thinker or leader.
Gatto’s point was that elite private boarding schools, through their structure, methodologies and focus, offer a more fertile ground for the independent, freedom loving and hard to control people looking to gain enough practical experience to stake out their claims to leadership.
Our current age, with old systems breaking down and confusion over what will eventually replace them, offers fertile ground for those trained in the techniques needed to learn, grow, understand, act, excel and accomplish.
We need to understand and utilize Gatto's fourteen distinctive themes of elite private school curriculum’s to secure our future.
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Thanks for posting this; I've repeatedly referred people to his fascinating video lecture, "Underground History Lesson," available on YouTube, for its wide-ranging insights on education, history and culture generally. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj8f7ycnUtU&t=5881s