It is some years since Ivan Ilych burst on the scene as a critic of traditional educational practices.  Whenever I see or hear about “School Choice” I think of him. This man helped change our attitudes towards education back in the troubled times of Post World War II, Post Korean “Police Action” and during the Vietnam involvement by a divided United States. The political and military problems our country encountered generated a strong desire to blame the educational establishment for our problems. The critics of democratic practices made a target of PUBLIC EDUCATION or, more specifically, the PUBLIC SCHOOLS. A more perfect scapegoat could not be imagined.

Ivan Ilych became notorious and the darling of disgruntled intellectuals and particularly of the ultra right wing of the Republican Party.  Both Democrats and Republicans could agree when attacking PUBLIC EDUCATION was the subject. Mr. Ilych achieved instant fame by using the term “DESCHOOLING” and it became the tool of choice to destroy the Public School system in the United States. The idea was, “Get rid of the (public) schools and save society”.

Mr. Ilych wrote on a number of issues but his philosophical bent was the broader issue of the ills of our society.  So, he wrote “Deschooling Society”. This phrase became the slogan of those who had no love for public education and a great need to attack the strong central government of our country.  This was a sentiment going back to the foundation of the United States of America.  Ideas about confederation, nullification, states rights and secession have never gone away.  Hatred of bureaucrats and specifically left leaning politicians focused the nation on education issues. The greatest attention centered on school integration. The end of the era of separate and unequal schools for non-white children was heralded and opposition took destructive forms of attacking busing and adopting the extreme notion of “deschooling” society.

Harry Golden was a homespun philosopher who had a word for just about everything especially if it exposed hypocrisy and stupidity.  He wrote about “vertical” integration.  Take the seats away and racists would no longer have to sit next to or with Black persons.  Deschooling society was the most drastic solution ever suggested. It attracted great numbers of supporters. For a time the State of Virginia tried to end public schools and the number of “Christian” and private schools grew.  Out of this the movement to use vouchers and other “different” approaches such as “home schooling”  developed just to avoid going to school with others. The pretext was to provide a moral, a “Christian” education.

At this time, Mr. Ilych’s idea should be put to rest along with him.