Retired Teacher Reveals He Was Illiterate Until Age 48

John Corcoran graduated from college and taught high school for 17 years without being able to read, write or spell.

Corcoran's life of secrecy started at a young age. He said his teachers moved him up from grade to grade. Often placed in what he calls the "dumb row," the images of his tribulations in the classroom are still vividly clear.

"I can remember when I was 8 years old saying my prayers at night saying, 'please, God, tomorrow when it's my turn to read please let me read.' You just pretend that you are invisible and when the teacher says, 'Johnnie read,' you just wait the teacher out because you know the teacher has to go away at some point," said Corcoran.

Corcoran eventually started acting up to hide his illiteracy. From fifth through seventh grade he was expelled, suspended and spent most of his days at the principal's office.

I will be completely unsurprised at the public school groupies who, despite the incredibly common nature of this kind of thing, will insist that it is an isolated event and not an indicator the public education is a defective system.

The real answer lies here:

"My parents came to school and it no longer was a problem for me reading because this boy Johnnie the -- native alien I call him -- he didn't have a reading problem as far as the teachers were concerned. He had an emotional problem. He had a psychological problem. He had a behavioral problem," said Corcoran.

Any system that is operated by the government will necessarily have to be rigid and target the lowest common denominator. It is, therefore, not surprising that a large number of people will be able to game the system to their own advantage. As I have said before, and this is yet more evidence of the truth of what I say, the function of government-run schools is not education, their function is social engineering, no more, no less.