As an assignment Bates has her students read Macbeth, the play by Spearspeake. When discussing the reading of Macbeth, Bates student’s reflect on themselves in comparison to the material in novel. When analysing the context it was apparent that Bate’s students “think”. By “thinking”, I mean they analysis more that what it is , they see it in many points of views, they take the time to actually understand and to learn. Even by connecting their own experiences with the piece. The student’s actually comprehending the reading as anyone else can.
In another novel, “Beyond Prison Education”, according to author, Jean Trounstine, who also taught in prisons saw education in prison systems could be beneficial; “the best antidote to crime is still, in [her] mind, the kind of power that comes from a considered, free-thinking education. Texts .. encourages us to our boundaries, teach us we are not alone”(677). Meaning that even though these “students” are physically locked up, they shouldn’t be mentally confined.
Have you noticed that I don’t refer to Bate’s students as prisoners? Well in the beginning before reading this novel I thought that these “prisoners” should face the consequences of the crimes committed, but as I continued through the novel I began to question my beliefs. Now my question to you is has this novel altered your thinking on the situation of allowing education to people who may have done something against society? There is pros and cons but be open-minded. Us as college students go to school because we have been told to go our whole lives, and some of us don’t think of the bigger picture of going. Now to Bate’s students for example, they see this learning experience as a gift, that they have been given a chance that they haven’t been given ever before. So are we really any all that different in the sense about obtaining an education?