THE CULT OF SMART: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice | Fredrik deBoer, All Points Books, (2021), 232p. In his polemic 'The Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice,' Fredrik deBoer, an educator with a penchant for the controversial, takes a sledgehammer to the tower of contemporary education. DeBoer, not one to mince words, posits that our education system is less a bastion of enlightenment and more a machinery of social stratification. This preserves the status quo of societal inequity. DeBoer's thesis hinges on what he terms the 'cult of smart,' societal idolatry of innate intelligence as the supreme metric of human value. DeBoer says this dubious doctrine perpetuates a pernicious myth: intelligence is a fixed and unalterable quantity rather than a trait that can be nurtured and honed. The consequence of this fallacy is a self-fulfilling prophecy, wherein the so-called bright are lauded and advanced, while the rest languish in a pedagogical purgatory. He then scrutinizes the system's sorting mechanism, comparable to the controversial theory of Phrenology that identifies and separates students with almost fanatical enthusiasm. This early classification of students into categories on standardized tests reinforces social divisions. With access to more resources, the affluent naturally rise to the top. In contrast, the less fortunate are often stuck in a cycle of educational depravity. Of "gifted" and "remedial" bas DeBoer is equally scathing about the lasting damage these labels do to education. The 'smart' are ensconced in a cocoon of expectations, while the 'struggling' are stigmatized, their potential and self-worth eroded by institutional branding. Moreover, deBoer lambasts the education system's obsession with rote learning, accusing it of stifling creativity and critical thinking. In his view, the system churns out not enlightened minds but rather regurgitators of facts, ill-equipped for contemporary life. In examining teachers' plight, deBoer paints a picture of beleaguered individuals grappling with unrealistic expectations and systemic neglect. This is particularly true in underprivileged areas. This, he argues, leads to a demoralized teaching force, unable to fulfill their education potential. DeBoer also critiques technological band-aids applied to deep-seated educational wounds. He argues that far from being a panacea, technology often exacerbates educational disparities, with the rich getting richer in resources and the poor left in the digital dust. In proposing solutions, deBoer goes beyond mere critique. He advocates project-based learning and interdisciplinary approaches that foster creativity and critical thinking. His policy suggestions aim at the roots of educational inequality, recognizing that a mere change in curriculum is tantamount to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. 'The Cult of Smart' is a trenchant and well-researched critique, a clarion call for a fundamental rethinking of how we educate. DeBoer compels us to confront uncomfortable truths about our education system and its role in perpetuating social injustices. It is a provocative, if sometimes uncomfortable, reminder that education, in its current form, might be the opiate of the elites. This is rather than the superior equalizer it purports to be. QUOTES * "The education system is not a neutral, apolitical institution. It is a battleground in the war between the powerful and the powerless." * "The idea that intelligence is fixed and innate is one of the most destructive ideas in human history." * "The education system does not exist to promote social mobility; it exists to preserve social hierarchy." * "The primary function of the education system is not to educate, but to sort." * "The education system is not broken; it is doing exactly what it was designed to do: reproduce social inequality." * "We do not have an education system that is failing; we have an education system that is succeeding, but succeeding in perpetuating social injustice." * "The problem with the education system is not that it is not working; the problem is that it is working precisely as intended." * "The goal of education should not be to prepare students for the workforce, but to prepare them for citizenship and participation in democracy." * "Education should not be about creating a competitive advantage, but about creating a just and equitable society." * "The education system will never be reformed until we recognize that it is not a technical problem, but a political one."