On the planet of Camazotz, the focus is on everyone thinking and acting identically. IT explains that only this will ensure that everyone is happy and at peace. To extrapolate from this stated purpose, and the behavior of the children bouncing the balls in rhythm when Calvin, Meg, and Charles first arrived, we can assume that schooling would be similarly strict. Students would likely recite memorized facts and figures, likely in time with the ubiquitous pulsating rhythm of IT. Students who did not know the correct answers or could not keep up with the rigorous, efficient pace, would likely be sent to a room similar to the one the boy who couldn't bounce his ball properly was sent. They would likely be punished until they conformed.
Now, maybe I'm biased as a teacher, but education here on Earth is pretty different from Camazotz. Though students do have to memorize facts,...
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there are way more opportunities to critically think about topics. Disagreements and differences of opinion are actively encouraged (at least in history and English, which I teach). Students have opportunities to choose what they read and what they research, sometimes. Teacher take into account student interests, talents, and abilities when planning lessons in a way they certainly would not on Camazotz. Students can study music, art, humanities, and many other subjects that Camazotz would not offer, especially as many of these are detrimental to the dark thing that surrounds the planet.Â
Still, there are some similarities. Public schools do make students conform to certain expectations in order to make their learning more efficient. Students have specific classes they need to take and they need to arrive on time, stay in their seats, complete the same assignments in the same amount of time. With a class of 30 kids, there just isn't the time to let kids roam free to study whatever they want, as awesome as that could be. In that way, we have sacrificed individuality (in terms of learning habits and interests) for efficiency (teaching more kids in a classroom for less money). Still, it definitely is nowhere near the extent of Camazotz.