Richard Williams aka ‘Prince Ea’ reflects in his critical spoken-word-poem on the importance of education, the limitations and inequalities of the current school system in the US and the blindness of educational authorities and politicians. The voice, taking the role of a lawyer, who sues the school system, accuses that nothing had changed for the past 100 years and posing the rhetorical questions if teachers would “prepare students for the future or the past?” The voice demands for a more creative, innovative, critical, interdependent and less standardised way of teaching that considers the diversity of pupils and their needs.

The spoken-word-poem is suitable for a cross-curricular project on future education or a classroom discussion on the strength and weaknesses of the current state of school systems around the world. As the poem is used as an advert, teachers might discuss product placement with their pupils.

Poetry · United States