Manhattan today, tomorrow the world - The battle for a better education

New York City has over a thousand municipal schools. In common with schools in every other major US city, at most of them there is a policeman on duty, armed and with handcuffs hanging on his belt. Schools has become a nightmare, for school-goers and parents alike – a trouble spot in an industrial society at an inpasse. New York is like a stormbird, which signals the advent of the self-made catastrophes of the Western industrial nations.What should actually be learned by children, and for what purpose?Why are more children running away from home than ever before?Why do they skip school and smoke “pot”?Harald Hohenacker shows two alternative schools in New York, to demonstrate the efforts being made by parents and teachers to help children regain their self-respect and a sense of their own value in a school environment overburdened by bureaucracy.MANHATTAN TODA, TOMORROW THE WORLD is a documentary with little commentary.The son “New York Times” by Cat Stevens plays and important part in the film since it conveys a sentiment which determines the views of many New Yorkers today. The film emphasizes the opinions and reflections of teenagers and children.