Chapter 11: Final Observations

As discussed in the Foreword to this volume, our intent was to stimulate discussion about the purpose of schooling in the two North American nations of Canada and the United States. We anticipated that because we share a connected history and a common border, there might be certain similarities of thought. We also anticipated that differences in school governance in the two countries would reveal ways in which the populations did not agree. Although to some extent this was the case, the resulting essays presented a more complex picture than we expected. The essays confirm that human beings hold multilayered identities and within those identities, multiple, sometimes contradictory, opinions about an issue as personal and meaningful as their own schooling experiences, their tax dollars, and the social and economic value of education. What did surprise us was the eagerness with which authors responded to the invitation to prepare essays. In addition, we found that most were frustrated because they felt there currently is no real avenue for input into the forms, functions, and purposes of their public schools.