We Should Cherish Our Children's Freedom to Think

"We Should Cherish Our Children's Freedom to Think", an article which was written by Kie Ho, is grounded in the opinion that American education is a saving grace. The author argues that freedom, which is omitted as the center of the quality of education in the U.S. is most essential. He believes although public education in the U.S. is not perfect, it still a great deal better than any others. In order to support his thesis, Ho only cites numerous personal examples and compares the educational difference between his son's experience in today's America and his in the bygone era. After weighing all of the evidence, I do not believe that Ho's unilateral argument and insufficient evidence are powerful enough to support his main point.

The first argument to support his position is that American education tends to teach young children to cultivate their own creativity. He sustained this thesis by an example that schoolchildren's works which is a little naïve but full of imagination and creativities, are exhibited in a specific museum. It is an up-to date and personal experience that seems believable. However, in the next paragraph, he supports his assertion by comparing his studying in geography when he was twelve with his son's creative geography (p. 112). Not being aware of that they are in different ages and eras, he compares an apple with an orange. Also, he makes a gross generalization in the instance because not all the students at six can do as well as his son. According to the analysis above, his examples are partly effective. However, his following one-side evidence shows he moves down a path of arbitrary decision.

Next, Ho's argument, in which American children are able to experiment freely with ideas is the second reason to support his main point. For supporting this reason, he uses his own experience that he had no alternatives and no right to make the decision due to the only principles, dedication and obedience, must be abided by every student at that time. Such an extreme and subjective example is hard to be universally applicable, for most countries are not in the same situation as he described in the article. In his analysis, he mentions