--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not possible to spend any prolonged…" description: "\"“It is not possible to spend any prolonged period visiting public school classrooms without being appalled by the mutilation visible everywhere—mutilat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/john-holt-14171_school_it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonge_1671070.jpg" --- # It is not possible to spend any prolonged period visiting… ![“It is not possible to spend any prolonged period visiting public school classrooms without being appalled by the mutilation visible everywhere—mutilation of spontaneity, of joy in learning, or pleasure in creating, or sense of self. . . . Because adults take the schools so much for granted, they…” quote by John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/john-holt-14171_school_it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonge_1671070.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/john-holt-14171_school_it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonge_1671070.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/john-holt-14171_school_it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonge_1671070.jpg) > ““It is not possible to spend any prolonged period visiting public school classrooms without being appalled by the mutilation visible everywhere—mutilation of spontaneity, of joy in learning, or pleasure in creating, or sense of self. . . . Because adults take the schools so much for granted, they fail to appreciate what grim, joyless places most American schools are \[they are much the same in most countries\], how oppressive and petty are the rules by which they are governed, how intellectually sterile and esthetically barren the atmosphere, what an appalling lack of civility obtains on the part of teachers and principals, what contempt they unconsciously display for students as students.”” [John Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes schools for stifling creativity, joy, and individuality, turning them into oppressive, sterile environments that neglect true learning. **In simple terms:** Schools crush spontaneity and joy, making learning oppressive. Key Takeaway Advocate for learning,, student‑centered education. Themes education creativity freedom institutional critique student rights Mood critical reflective concerned Type critical analytical commentary When to use this quote - classroom reform - teacher training - policy advocacy - parental involvement - alternative schooling Key Concepts pedagogy autonomy institutional oppression esthetic neglect Questions to Reflect On - How can we redesign schools to nurture joy and autonomy? - What practices already exist that counteract this oppression? A Different Perspective The critique may overlook schools that successfully foster creativity and community. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults Schools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults-schools-859929/) [Appalled Mutilation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appalled-mutilation-859925/) [Classrooms Appalled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classrooms-appalled-859924/) [Mutilation Visible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutilation-visible-859931/) [Principals Contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principals-contempt-859926/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Sense of self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-self/) ## Related quotes > [We need more caring adults, not less, in our schools helping students overcome learning loss, and supporting their mental health, and we can't afford…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/we-need-more-caring-adults-not-less-in-our-schools-helping-students/) [Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/) > [I think comedy comes more from a low sense of self-esteem, and I certainly have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-think-comedy-comes-more-from-a-low-sense-of-self-esteem-and-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Others may question your credentials, your papers, your degrees. 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Because adults take the schools so much for granted, they fail to appreciate what grim, joyless places most American schools are [they are much the same in most countries], how oppressive and petty are the rules by which they are governed, how intellectually sterile and esthetically barren the atmosphere, what an appalling lack of civility obtains on the part of teachers and principals, what contempt they unconsciously display for students as students.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Holt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonged-period-visiting-public/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "School" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonged-period-visiting-public/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/john-holt-14171_school_it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonge_1671070.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/john-holt-14171_school_it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonge_1671070.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51d/john-holt-14171_school_it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonge_1671070.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is not possible to spend any prolonged period visiting public school classrooms without being appalled by…” — John Holt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Holt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is not possible to spend...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonged-period-visiting-public/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holt/it-is-not-possible-to-spend-any-prolonged-period-visiting-public/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```