Should School Attendance be Compulsory?

[NERVUN]

My point exactly, no offense meant, (I am in the same position).

I am (modesty aside) a truly superb computer programmer, but if my car breaks down, or I get a flat tire, I am screwed. My lateral thinking skills are second to none, but ask me to cook sausage, egg and chips and I would probably poison you.

I still say we need to teach kids science and critical thinking, but yeah - I can see more vocational stuff being helpful as well

Um... you do know that traditionally, it wasn't schools that taught those skills, it was parents, right?

[Katganistan]

I love how the people that insist naively (or with irony) that others will donate to charity out of the kindness of their hearts are the ones bitching most bitterly about taxes going to benefit everyone, including the poor.

[MERIZoC]

This would be good because it could allow schooling to be competitive and create supply and demand for schooling.

"I have heard of a thing called economics"

[Salandriagado]

I am (modesty aside) a truly superb computer programmer, but if my car breaks down, or I get a flat tire, I am screwed. My lateral thinking skills are second to none, but ask me to cook sausage, egg and chips and I would probably poison you.

I still say we need to teach kids science and critical thinking, but yeah - I can see more vocational stuff being helpful as well

Um... you do know that traditionally, it wasn't schools that taught those skills, it was parents, right?

Or, you know, just teach yourself. You could teach yourself most of that list (excluding the more fiddly and annoying things that can go wrong with cars) in a day, no problem, just by trying and failing a few times.

[NERVUN]

Um... you do know that traditionally, it wasn't schools that taught those skills, it was parents, right?

Or, you know, just teach yourself. You could teach yourself most of that list (excluding the more fiddly and annoying things that can go wrong with cars) in a day, no problem, just by trying and failing a few times.

That too, YouTube helps. Hell, there are a LOT of resources out there now that give you step-by-step.

This isn't to say that schools should not offer vocational classes, but the notion that the lack of them is why some people lack adult skills is silly.

[New haven america]

Nonsense, "Equal access to education."

Stop feeding me your Un-American liberal ideas, they won't work on me.

Why is everything that benefits the daily person over the businessman always "Un-American" I have the feeling revolutionaries (the founding fathers) would dislike that sentiment.

Because the people shouldn't be coddled, they should be able to pull themselves up and actually do something, instead of leeching off of those who are more successful.

Wouldn't want to become Communists now, would we? (I think this is the longest I've gone without people realizing I'm being sarcastic, I think my stereotypical Republican/GOP/Libertarian impression is getting better)

[Salandriagado]

Or, you know, just teach yourself. You could teach yourself most of that list (excluding the more fiddly and annoying things that can go wrong with cars) in a day, no problem, just by trying and failing a few times.

That too, YouTube helps. Hell, there are a LOT of resources out there now that give you step-by-step.

This isn't to say that schools should not offer vocational classes, but the notion that the lack of them is why some people lack adult skills is silly.

As a random example: I recently bought a pushbike, having not ridden one since I was about 15 (turns out, all that "you never forget how to ride a bike" stuff is actually mostly true). The first thing I did after convincing myself that I could actually ride it was take it apart and put it back together again, just to make sure that I could (and have it still in the free maintenance period in case it turned out that I couldn't get the gears right again). Is this not a thing that people do?

[San Lumen]

Why is everything that benefits the daily person over the businessman always "Un-American" I have the feeling revolutionaries (the founding fathers) would dislike that sentiment.

Because the people shouldn't be coddled, they should be able to pull themselves up and actually do something, instead of leeching off of those who are more successful.

Wouldn't want to become Communists now, would we? (I think this is the longest I've gone without people realizing I'm being sarcastic, I think my stereotypical Republican/GOP/Libertarian impression is getting better)

So education is coddling people? How do you think Elon Musk got to be CEO of Tesla? Or Neil DeGrasse Tyson became director of the Hayden Planetarium? They and others like them magically obtained everything they know? No they went to school and university and continue to study things to this day.

[Kubra]

Because the people shouldn't be coddled, they should be able to pull themselves up and actually do something, instead of leeching off of those who are more successful.

Wouldn't want to become Communists now, would we? (I think this is the longest I've gone without people realizing I'm being sarcastic, I think my stereotypical Republican/GOP/Libertarian impression is getting better)

So education is coddling people? How do you think Elon Musk got to be CEO of Tesla? Or Neil DeGrasse Tyson became director of the Hayden Planetarium? They and others like them magically obtained everything they know? No they went to school and university and continue to study things to this day.

he's joking, he's joking.

[Katganistan]

In many cases today, vocational training is more valuable than traditional college degrees. We should look into funding those some more, or at least incorporate some more relevant life skills into school curriculums. Let's teach kids how to cooks steaks, change tires, balance budgets and etc. instead of underwater basketweaving, Latin, and comic book analyzation.

Do american high schools not offer technical and vocational classes? Serious question. I know that here in leafland education on how the fuck to do taxes is also sorely lacking.

Yes, there are classes in business, in woodworking, in automotive, in cooking, etc. depending on the school you go to.

BTW in NYC you do get choice of public schools. Which is why some of my students regret living in the Bronx and choosing to come to a Brooklyn school, with a 2 hr commute each way.

[Faarali]

Having been in the public education system for all my life so far, i have decided that some kids are just a waste of time/resources trying to teach. Making School Attendance compulsory won't stop them from skipping, nor should we go after them when they do. If anything, schools deliberately give them suspensions as frequently as they can to keep them out of school, so they don't have to deal with them.

Public Education Uber Alles!!!

[Oldenfranck]

I'm out when the mods come in. I disagree with their opinions on this vocational school subject, but it aint of importance. I don't want to further disagree with their opinions, because I don't want to get punished. After all, Max Barry said it himself, there aint no free speech here .

[New haven america]

In many cases today, vocational training is more valuable than traditional college degrees. We should look into funding those some more, or at least incorporate some more relevant life skills into school curriculums. Let's teach kids how to cooks steaks, change tires, balance budgets and etc. instead of underwater basketweaving, Latin, and comic book analyzation.

Do american high schools not offer technical and vocational classes?

Depends on the school. Most don't, some do.

[Kubra]

I'm out when the mods come in. I disagree with their opinions on this vocational school subject, but it aint of importance. I don't want to further disagree with their opinions, because I don't want to get punished. After all, Max Barry said it himself, there aint no free speech here .

Is this what is called a "persecution complex"?

[Oldenfranck]

I'm out when the mods come in. I disagree with their opinions on this vocational school subject, but it aint of importance. I don't want to further disagree with their opinions, because I don't want to get punished. After all, Max Barry said it himself, there aint no free speech here .

Is this what is called a "persecution complex"?

Possibly, but I aint taking any chances.

[New haven america]

Because the people shouldn't be coddled, they should be able to pull themselves up and actually do something, instead of leeching off of those who are more successful.

Wouldn't want to become Communists now, would we? (I think this is the longest I've gone without people realizing I'm being sarcastic, I think my stereotypical Republican/GOP/Libertarian impression is getting better)

1.So education is coddling people?2. How do you think Elon Musk got to be CEO of Tesla? 3.Or Neil DeGrasse Tyson became director of the Hayden Planetarium? They and others like them magically obtained everything they know? 4.No they went to school and university and continue to study things to this day.

1. Yes
2. Benefitting off of the hard work of his parents and the social situation of South Africa
3. Actually putting in hard work
4. Yeah, but what have they done for me?

[San Lumen]

1.So education is coddling people?2. How do you think Elon Musk got to be CEO of Tesla? 3.Or Neil DeGrasse Tyson became director of the Hayden Planetarium? They and others like them magically obtained everything they know? 4.No they went to school and university and continue to study things to this day.

1. Yes
2. Benefitting off of the hard work of his parents and the social situation of South Africa
3. Actually putting in hard work
4. Yeah, but what have they done for me?

Are you actually being serious or are you being sarcastic?

[New haven america]

1. Yes
2. Benefitting off of the hard work of his parents and the social situation of South Africa
3. Actually putting in hard work
4. Yeah, but what have they done for me?

Are you actually being serious or are you being sarcastic?

I am the most serious I've ever been in my life.

[San Lumen]

Are you actually being serious or are you being sarcastic?

I am the most serious I've ever been in my life.

if you are being serious please tell me how education is coddling people? People like Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye have enhanced our understanding of the world. Elon Musk is going to changing the automotive industry. One day in the not to distant future cars will be entirely electric and it will be due to people like him. How do you think they go to be so brilliant? They went to school and got an education and continue to read and study to this day.

If you are being sarcastic please tell me because it seems like this should be obvious.

[San Marlindo]

My point exactly, no offense meant, (I am in the same position).

I am (modesty aside) a truly superb computer programmer, but if my car breaks down, or I get a flat tire, I am screwed. My lateral thinking skills are second to none, but ask me to cook sausage, egg and chips and I would probably poison you.

I still say we need to teach kids science and critical thinking, but yeah - I can see more vocational stuff being helpful as well

Why don't you learn?

I'd say these things - changing a tire, frying sausage and eggs, etc are good places to start if you're looking for ways to improve yourself.

[The of Japan]

Why ban home schooling?

[Lady Scylla]

It should be compulsory. Kids need basic education to properly integrate and function in society.

[Bressen]

I love how the people that insist naively (or with irony) that others will donate to charity out of the kindness of their hearts are the ones bitching most bitterly about taxes going to benefit everyone, including the poor.

Bit of a misrepresentation. There's nothing wrong with the government using money to benefit the poor, but there's everything wrong with how the government collects that money (via the use of the threat of force).

I can't fathom why people don't understand that all us Libertarians want, at our core, is a society based on voluntary, consensual actions.

And there's nothing naive about saying others will donate to charity out the kindness of their hearts, as evidence by multimillionaires and multibillionaires donating money to charities. We just need more incentive for everyone to donate to charities, which begins at removing this notion that the government taking taxes under the threat of force is the only way to help the poor.

[Thermodolia]

In many cases today, vocational training is more valuable than traditional college degrees. We should look into funding those some more, or at least incorporate some more relevant life skills into school curriculums. Let's teach kids how to cooks steaks, change tires, balance budgets and etc. instead of underwater basketweaving, Latin, and comic book analyzation.

Do american high schools not offer technical and vocational classes? Serious question. I know that here in leafland education on how the fuck to do taxes is also sorely lacking.

American schools are literally the worst

[New haven america]

I love how the people that insist naively (or with irony) that others will donate to charity out of the kindness of their hearts are the ones bitching most bitterly about taxes going to benefit everyone, including the poor.

I can't fathom why people don't understand that all us Libertarians want, at our core, is a society based on voluntary, consensual actions.

You want a society where people voluntarily help others with the compassion of their hearts, where the government is just there to make laws and maybe work on infrastructure, and where economics works nothing like how it does in the real world.

Which is ironic, considering most of the people in our government who represent Libertarians are neither compassionate, willing to let go of control over other people, or unversed when it comes to economics.

Let me ask you a question: Do you think charities alone could fix the US' poverty problem? (46 mil. and counting, btw)