In spite of the dominant culture of education

[Maybo]

I don't understand the underlined sentence. Does it mean those successful students are paying the price even if they are in an unsatisfactory education system?

For countless others, public education has been the path to personal fulfillment or the route out of poverty and disadvantage. Numerous people have succeeded in the system and done well by it. It would be ridiculous to suggest otherwise. But far too many have not benefited as they should from the long years of public education. The success of those who do well in the system comes at a high price for the many who do not. As the standards movement gathers pace, even more students are paying the price of failure. Too often, those who are succeeding are doing so in spite of the dominant culture of education, not because of it. (Creative School by Ken Robinson)

 

[Tarheel]

Those who succeed do so more because they are able to figure things out than because of the teachers.

The teachers are there to teach the average students -- not those who are superior and not those who are inferior.

 

[Maybo]

Those who succeed do so more because they are able to figure things out than because of the teachers.

The teachers are there to teach the average students -- not those who are superior and not those who are inferior.

I don't understand. What does "the dominant culture of education " refer to?

 

[Tarheel]

I don't understand. What does "the dominant culture of education " refer to?

That's not a phrase I'm used to. My best guess is that the writer is talking attitudes and procedures.
:-?

 

[jutfrank]

This is about the US public school system so I don't understand it very well, but it seems that the dominant culture is a reference to the standards movement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand...-based education,are aligned to the standards.