Charles' third blog

In the article entitled "The silenced Dialogue", Lisa Delpit discusses her concerns regarding the No Child Left Behind program in which educators are more preoccupied by test scores than "the development of the human beings in our charge". According to her, children should be taught the rules and codes of the culture of power so they can be successful in the American society. She agrees that students from various cultural backgrounds need to keep their languages and values when she says on page 37 " children have the right to their own language, their own culture. We must fight cultural hegemony and fight the system by insisting that children be allowed to express themselves in their own language style". But at the same time she deems it important that the same children learn the language and the values of this country if they want to succeed. This is what she means when she states on page 25 that " The codes or rules I'm speaking of relate to linguistic forms, communicative strategies, and presentation of self; that is, ways of talking, ways of writing, ways of dressing, and ways of interacting".
I will give an example about my family. My wife and I speak French at home and so does our 10 year old child. Our son is so interested in French that I sometimes I tell him that it is okay to learn and speak French, because it is part of our culture, but that if he wants to make it at school, he needs to concentrate on learning English for schooling purposes. I don't think he quite understands due to his age, but at least I tried as a parent. Because education starts at home.
On the other hand, if the East Indian was aware of the rules and codes of the culture of power, maybe he would have gotten the job he applied for. Indeed, he would have prepared himself better to face the interviewers.
The author also maintains that white educators should listens to the ideas, and suggestions of black educators when it comes to the education of black children because both black educators and children live in the same communities, therefore they have the proper means and tools to ensure their education.