By Elena Smith, Year 11
Dead Poets Society is an American Film directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman. I first watched this film at the age of 11, and although captivated by it I did not feel the film changed the way I viewed education and the school system. However, In year 10, my English teacher analysed the film with us, and since then the film holds a special place in my heart.
Although it came out in 1999, 24 years later the film offers a modern outlook on our education system. Some believe dead poets’ society should be the way we aim to educate students. Although others argue that Dead Poets Society should not be a guidebook but more of a warning on how to not educate students.
So what about Ecolint, do we follow a Dead Poet society-inspired education, and if we don’t- should we?
Dead Poet Society is a film (it has also been made into a book now) about an English teacher called Mr Keating who is hired to work at an all-boys school, known for sticking to ancient tradition whilst achieving high grades from its students. Mr Keating, realising the students have been brainwashed into thinking education is simply memorising or repeating what a teacher has told them, uses unconventional teaching methods such as quoting poetry as they kick footballs, or bringing his students to the courtyard and asking them to march to the ‘rhythm’ of the poem. This inspires his students to think critically, and to think for themselves. Although Mr Keating manages to encourage his students to follow their dreams, this will also lead to an incredibly tragic incident, leaving anyone watching the film in tears.
This film looks at issues like parental pressure, but also the unrealistic standards schools set for students. Mr Keating’s education methods have been admired and appreciated by many today, but also scrutinised and criticised. Some claim that Mr Keating’s teaching methods are ‘unrealistic’ and do not truly prepare students for the world of work. However, many believe that Mr Keating’s methods are the best way to go about teaching, as it requires students to think outside the box, and allows them to develop their own opinion and view on our world.
As a student, I think Mr Keating’s education should be included in the way we educate students. I do believe that some education methods, although may achieve high grades, do not benefit the student but instead drives them to ‘burn out’ and sets unrealistic standards. However, I would also agree that Mr Keating’s methods could also be seen as unrealistic in the sense of taking exams such as the IB or A levels, his methods of teaching would not allow students to do as well. I think a balanced approach where Mr Keating and his way of teaching is taken into account is how students could truly flourish in our world today.
My year ten English teacher definitely used some of his methods, and in return, my class really enjoyed our English lessons, whilst also feeling prepared for tests and exams!
So, does ecolint share a similar view on education as Mr Keating does?
I would say in general, yes. Not to say the LGB doesn’t prepare us for the IB, it most definitely does and it is clear that ecolint doesn’t only follow Mr Keating’s views, and that’s for the better I would say.
However, the school definitely encourages us to voice our opinions, and develop a good understanding of the world around us. Not only this but the curricula we follow are filled with points to debate. For example, history at school has always been really interesting because we tend to study periods of history not from one perspective, but from several which reminds us to question our world and also develops our critical thinking skills. From maths to philosophy classes, you can definitely sense our school’s similarities to Mr Keating.
I think Dead Poets Society is an incredible film, not only has it developed how we understand education, but the cinematography is truly beautiful and I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t had the opportunity to watch this film to add it to their watch list ! I am incredibly grateful that I got to study this film in English class, it is a must-watch.
