Should kids/teens be forced to go to school?

I say children should be STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to go to school. You (in general, not specific) may not like it, and no one says you have to like it. But my issue with kids not being in school is that they're the ones that we eventually have to hand the world over to when we die; we worked hard to get us where we are in our advances and improvements. We need the upcoming generation to be able to pick up where we left off and fix the problems we currently cannot. Leeching on welfare (in the case of an able person who is too lazy to look for work)or a part-time job the rest of your life is rarely gonna get you anything or anywhere.

People will find that education adds "tools to their tool box"; the more tools they have to work with, the more they can accomplish. So personally I think that they need a well-balanced education.

 

I strongly agree waffles.

Ill also add that the fact that governments send kids to school alsohelps the current economy as it frees up parents to go to work instead of staying home to takecare oftheir children.

 

Everyone should get an education, but laws like No Child Left Behind need to be abolished. No Child Left Behind hurts children because it punishes schools that are struggling, instead of giving them the aid they need to improve conditions for students. Not to mention it's the leading cause of classroom crowding because schools are forced to lay off teachers they can no longer afford to have. Our children deserve to have education. Quality education too.

 

Yes and No, Yes because Children to need education of some sort and need to learn many things as it is needed and helpful in the future, No because of the United States' crappy educational system, it blows; I'm just going to say it and it needs to be changed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9yUXVzs0Qw

 

Yes. Kids can't make that decision for themselves. And neither can some parents.

 

Up to a certain point, kids aren't mature enough to make that decision about their future.

 

AGH. Gotta retype this all over again because the thing was like NO you can't post this. I'mma cry. ;=;

First off, gotta agree with Waffles. That's the right idea. Having an education helps in being a well-rounded individual. However, the U.S. education system really needs a revamp.

After talking with my grandparents about this a few times, I really think we should start reopening vocational/trade schools for those who are not as suited for an academic environment. To not give them any kind of education or life skills would just be setting them up to continue the cycle of poverty and ignorance; by not having them go to any sort of school, they're pretty much destined to fail. At least by giving them a foundation in SOMETHING they can actually work with, they'll at least have a chance to do something decent.

Though, the U.S's "Educate 'Til the Test" method is really getting pointless. All we really do is beat information into kids until they have to take their SAT or ACT or High school exam or whatever, and then it becomes irrelevant. I really think we need an emphasis on critical thinking. Anyone can memorize facts out of a book (I know I can :lol, but where's the application? WHY are we doing this? What's the point? Why? That's the one thing I love about my high school honors program, we're actually being asked WHY as opposed to just learning unnecessary "facts". Honestly I sometimes don't blame these kids for acting out, as really jerkish as it is; I think I would too. As someone who loves to learn, we aren't actually LEARNING. It's just parroting back whatever we hear, not actually absorbing it and applying it.

We also need education on the more serious side of life (i.e., rape, domestic abuse, violence), instead of brushing it under the rug and scapegoating it onto video games, movies, books, whatever. It's been going on for decades, and there isn't a proper discussion going on as to why these things are wrong, why they shouldn't be done, why it's never okay no matter who you are or where you come from. Not talking about it has such a domino effect that's saddening to even think about.

Sorry, long post is long. But I think that pretty much sums up my point.
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EDIT:
No comments on No Child Left Behind because I don't really know about that particular aspect of the education system.

 

I feel every child should be in education, at least up until the age of 16. If from there on they can't stand education, so be it. At 16 I feel you are capable enough of making your own choice in life.

But at what point do we need to draw a line on how much we are educating ourselves? You need a degree to screw a bottle top on nowadays.

That said, whilst we're supposedly the most educated work force at the moment, yet there's still things like prejudice and stereotypes, so quite clearly, we are not as educated as we'd like to think.

 

Yes, all children need to go to school.

 

Where I live, you have the choice to drop out at 16. A lot who do end up going back.

 

I said other. I do believe in compulsory education; however, I don't think traditional school is the best way to achieve this for some children. This includes children who do not perform well in traditional academic environments, as well as those whose education exists alongside developing a specific skill/talent (e.g. musicians) or those who could learn much better in a more customized environment even though they do fine in school. (For the record, I feel I was in that last category and that I would have benefited greatly from a less traditional approach.)

 

Unless and until schools are made safe for *all* students, no they should not. I used to skip 20-30 days a year and it made no difference with learning. I'm a big proponent of home schooling. I think especially middle/HS have completely failed in this country. I say this as someone who goes to an elite college. It's just light years apart. Also saying this as someone who was bullied relentlessly, as I'm sure others here have been. People who are able to succeed in life can do so fully without HS. As it stands, public schools serve as little more than havens for criminals.

 

Many adults aren't mature enough to make important decisions let alone kids. Education is extremely important and should be forced.

 

Absolutely not. Education should be thought of as a privilege you are wise to avail yourself of, not an obligation forced down your throat. I would prefer parents have the decision of whether to send their kids to school or not. As a practical matter, I think the vast majority of parents would still do so. On the other side of things, I think we should make it a little bit harder to stay in school. Punishments for bullying and initiating violence should be stepped up so that expulsion is more of a threat than a rarity for students who get out of line.

The bottom line for me is that I want everyone who doesn't want to learn out of the school so they don't drag the atmosphere down for everybody else with their inertia, violence, and negativity.

 

I definitely think kids should be forced to go to school, up until a certain age when they can make adult decisions for themselves. Until they can understand that not having an education changes the outlook for your entire future. It changes the opportunities available to you for the rest of your life. Education is not something we can afford to have left by the wayside. The kids who would be 'allowed' to not go to school will need to function in this world. I'd arm them with any tool I can offer them. Education should be for everyone, in the best interest of everyone.

That being said, it would be easier to keep kids in school if we didn't suck so bad at dealing with education.

Get rid of poverty to get rid of its effects on kids and families. Crack down on bullying and make schools inclusive, supportive spaces for everyone. Prioritize public education in our budgets and our minds. Change the way we view education (not just as a money making tool, but as a form of self-development and self-improvement and personal growth as well as job training) and we wouldn't even have to ask questions like whether or not we should force kids to go to school. Most, if not all, would go without having to be forced. If we valued education better, valued learning, and most importantly, got rid of the obstacles between kids who want to learn and learning, this wouldn't be such a problem.

 

Yes, they should. If they weren't forced to go to school, they'd miss out on so many important things such as basic maths. Education is the best way to end poverty. I have so many ideas on education, but I won't flood the thread with them.

And in a country with compulsory voting (the strictest in the world, I think), I definitely want people to be educated on how the world works (even if they only learn the basics).

 

[embarks on soapbox, clears throat...]

To those who wish to remain uneducated, I ask them this small favour: please don't vote.

To those who do wish to become educated: consider options other than traditional schooling. Traditional schools (with everyone in neat rows, seated and quiet, until the bell rings) came about from the militaristic Prussians (part of present-day Germany) in the 19th Century and were dearly adopted by the Americans in the early 20th century. The militaristic Prussians were not interested in educating their children, it was a form of social control (most effective) eagerly adopted by the industrialists to feed the new factories with workers who could read instructions and obey orders (just like in school...how'bout that!)

We spend way too much time in school anyway, most of the core subjects can be learned in a few weeks. School is a gigantic, monumental waste of youthful energy, enthusiasm and talent. The young should be engaged in real things, doing research, being mentored, being apprentices in trades and other real things, and given the leeway to explore their own genius.

[temporarily dismounts from the soapbox to grab a glass of water]

The last thing we should do is direct kids to where the jobs are. First, because it takes so long to graduate that by the time they do the jobs aren't there anymore and second, they should start thinking about creating their own jobs, and creating jobs for others (this is the way we're headed anyway).

There are few things more effective at killing talent, enthusiasm and energy than sitting in a traditional class listening to some teacher drone. God, it's even boring for the teachers! You know there's something rotten in Denmark when "classroom management" (i.e. keeping the class from exploding into chaos) is a teacher's highest priority (and you can count on them being evaluated by their "superiors" on that very skill). What if there was an explosion of enthusiasm for a subject, so much so that when the bell rings it is completely ignored and everyone stays together to actually learn something?

:soapbox: