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Education Quote by Cormac McCarthy

“I read in the papers here a while back some teachers came across a survey that was sent out back in the thirties to a number of schools around the country. Had this questionnaire about what was the problems with teachin in the schools. And they come across these forms, they'd been filled out and…” quote by Cormac McCarthy
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““I read in the papers here a while back some teachers came across a survey that was sent out back in the thirties to a number of schools around the country. Had this questionnaire about what was the problems with teachin in the schools. And they come across these forms, they'd been filled out and sent in from around the country answerin these questions. And the biggest problems they could name was things like talkin in class and runnin in the hallways. Chewin gum. Copyin homework. Things of that nature. So they got one of them forms that was blank and printed up a bunch of em and sent em back out to the same schools. Forty years later. Well, here come the answers back. Rape, arson, murder. Drugs. Suicide. So think about that. Because a lot of the time when I say anything about how the world is goin to hell in a handbasket people will just sort of smile and tell me I'm gettin old. That it's one of the symptoms. But my feelin about that is that anybody that cant tell the difference between rapin and murderin people and chewin gum has got a whole lot bigger of a problem than what I've got. Forty years is not a long time neither. Maybe the next forty of it will bring some of em out from under the ether. If it aint too late.””

Cormac McCarthy

About This Quote

Survey data shows a shift from minor school misbehaviors to severe societal issues over decades, highlighting worsening problems.

In simple terms: School problems have become far more serious over time.

Key Takeaway

Address root causes of societal decline.

Themes

education societal change historical trends

Mood

concerned reflective

Type

analytical critical

When to use this quote

  • school discipline
  • community safety
  • mental health initiatives

Key Concepts

social decay policy failure generational trauma

Questions to Reflect On

  • What factors contributed to this shift?
  • How can education mitigate future crises?
A Different Perspective

Complex causes make simple solutions insufficient.

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