You can't speak for all educational institutes. My university department encourages and rewards critical thinking, questioning the established facts/methods, etc.
So... how is this hurtful? I'm sure not all places do this but it's definitely a good thing and helps all of us here to think for ourselves... not just to blindly conform.
^ I feel that when one comes by critical thinking, questioning, etc. on one's own, rather than being encouraged toward that path, it is best.
And formal education does not allow this free development - this "free meandering brook", as Thoreau wrote. At best, as you cite, formal education pushes one in a given direction, complete with its inherent restrictions. At worst, it acts as an obstacle to one's natural capacities to think critically.
I think there's definitely merit in thinking that education is not always the best path for everyone. However, that does not mean that education is useless. Those who are willing to work for it, love it, and enjoy learning will get things out of education others can't dream of outside of it.
My philosophy is, if school's not the right place for you, and you really don't want anything to do with institutionalized education, then that's perfectly fine. Go do what you feel is best for yourself 'cause everyone's different.
For those who love to pursue a higher education and gain knowledge from more academic fields of study, make the best of your educational opportunities.
^ That's fine with me.
It may be boredom, but the fact of the matter is that people who don't have a college degree, on the whole, earn less money and tend to have shorter lives than those that earn a degree. There's something to be said for having enough discipline to be able to jump through the requisite hoops.
^ Indeed, a college degree will make it easier to acquire a higher paying job. But that certainly doesn't mean that true fulfillment will be inherent in that job. It's often quite the opposite.
Believe it or not, there are people whose nature doesn't allow them to jump through hoops and obey things that they don't agree with simply in order to gain a financial reward. There are people whose aim is significantly higher.
Exactly. High School normalizes the system of exchange. Most students don't really care about the traditional topics of study. The ones who excel despite not being internally motivated are rewarded. This prepares them for a lifetime of jumping through hoops for rewards. Students who are radically independent and internally driven will have a hard time selling out. They will get weeded out and go to live in trailer parks. The successful ones will go on to become accountants and proctologists. They will live in bland suburbs, breed boring children, and buy patio furniture.
^ ... and buy a minivan.
Good post.
Students don't drop out of high schools because they are "radically" independent and internally driven. Don't confuse independence and drive with immaturity and laziness.
^ Where do you get your information?
There are a lot of intelligent people who didn't/don't do well in school. And it has nothing to do with immaturity or laziness.
I quit high school when I was 15 - one month into grade 9 (or secondary 3). And I never went back to any form of schooling.
I didn't quit because my family was financially priviledged. Far from it. Money was never my thing - as long as I had enough to survive, I was ok.
I stopped high school because I wasn't interested in anything that I was being told to learn. I was bored. So I left school and learned about the things that interested me. I learned by observation on the bus. I learned on my own at the library. I learned by reading books I wanted to read. Many people compliment me on my writing. I learned how to write properly by reading well written books - I didn't learn it in school. And I write better than many (most?) university graduates. And I hope to continue to improve my writing, and to learn more things in other areas that I'm interested in.
I learned what I wanted to learn, and I learned it my way, at my pace. In high school, I was not permitted to learn what I wanted to learn. I was not permitted to learn my way at my pace. And so, for me, high school was a very restrictive environment.
In the end, I quit school because I wanted to learn something.
Exactly, and my indifferent attitude is going to sound harsh, but about 25% of the dropouts from my schools are either dead or in juvy, and another 25% are addicted to some form of illicit drugs. Most of the dropouts from my high school fit the schema of the loser dropout. Just saying.
^ And anyone who chooses to drop out has a 100% choice to be one of those negative statistics, or to not be.