A few themes here made me want to comment:
1. Who pays for the schooling system
2. Choice within the schooling system
3. Purpose of the schooling system
To point #1: everyone who pays taxes. That includes myself and my wife, who both work hard for our money and who donâ(TM)t - and never will - have kids. As such, I have a stake in this but donâ(TM)t receive any direct benefit.
To point #2: as someone who grew up and was educated in the UK the choice available was simple: any of the local schools within a certain catchment area/radius, or pay to go to a private (fee paying) school. The local schools all had generally the same start times (8:30 - 9:00) and you were expected to be there. It wasnâ(TM)t the schoolâ(TM)s responsibility how you got there, and there would be penalties for being late. If you lived out in a remote village then the city would ensure a bus was available (either existing public transport or a school bus). It was your responsibility to catch the bus at whatever time it was due in order to be at school on time. This was an early lesson in the requirements of adulthood. Since we were at school with kids from the same streets, sometimes literally next-door neighbors, we knew many kids at school and could all walk/travel to and from the school together, making it safer and ensuring we all got there on time. Also, it was common that at least one parent would have some schedule flexibility on a particular day so after school a whole bunch of us would go play at that house until our parents were home.
To point #3: the basic and undeniable purpose of schooling is to learn. Racial/gender/religious/ considerations are nice but shouldnâ(TM)t drive any of the decisions around which school you can attend. If you leave school without the ability to write, listen, process information, and contribute new ideas then itâ(TM)s a fail. Not being able to do this but having a firm grasp of random sensitivities is still a fail.
The number of folks that decide to have kids but only factor in the cost of things like a pushchair, diapers, clothing, etc. rather than the entire cost of their upbringing continues to disappoint me. If you want your kid to go to school A at times B and with diversity C, then donâ(TM)t expect the _public_ system that I help pay for to meet these goals. Canâ(TM)t afford the choices youâ(TM)d want your kid(s) to have? Then you should either not have kids, adjust your expectations, or find some way to make more money. This entitlement crap drives me crazy. Growing up, we were always taught that schooling was a privilege - not a right - and that we should treat it as such. The number of parents who believe that society should pander to accommodate their kids is jarring. You made them, theyâ(TM)re your responsibility, they get no special rights over adults, and I will admonish them if they are doing something that bothers me...exactly as I would do to an adult. Iâ(TM)m content to pay taxes for systems that benefit the wider society but donâ(TM)t directly benefit me, as I recognize that they improve the society I live in and hence improve my quality of life.
On a couple of additional points...
Homeschooling is a terrible idea for all the reasons already provided (parents are terrible educators, parents canâ(TM)t be expert enough in all subjects, kids grow up with relationship problems, religious nutbaggery, etc,).
Safety of kids on the commute: statistics show that kids are safer now than in the past and itâ(TM)s the (social) media who are responsible for whipping people up into a froth about such concerns.
If I'm out for a drink I'm not looking for trouble. I'd rather drink in a bar which I know to be frequented by like-minded people and not run the risk of something kicking off.
Bar-tracking vs injury? No contest.
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And apparently I need to learn how to insert paragraph breaks. Mucho apologies.
A few themes here made me want to comment: 1. Who pays for the schooling system 2. Choice within the schooling system 3. Purpose of the schooling system To point #1: everyone who pays taxes. That includes myself and my wife, who both work hard for our money and who donâ(TM)t - and never will - have kids. As such, I have a stake in this but donâ(TM)t receive any direct benefit. To point #2: as someone who grew up and was educated in the UK the choice available was simple: any of the local schools within a certain catchment area/radius, or pay to go to a private (fee paying) school. The local schools all had generally the same start times (8:30 - 9:00) and you were expected to be there. It wasnâ(TM)t the schoolâ(TM)s responsibility how you got there, and there would be penalties for being late. If you lived out in a remote village then the city would ensure a bus was available (either existing public transport or a school bus). It was your responsibility to catch the bus at whatever time it was due in order to be at school on time. This was an early lesson in the requirements of adulthood. Since we were at school with kids from the same streets, sometimes literally next-door neighbors, we knew many kids at school and could all walk/travel to and from the school together, making it safer and ensuring we all got there on time. Also, it was common that at least one parent would have some schedule flexibility on a particular day so after school a whole bunch of us would go play at that house until our parents were home. To point #3: the basic and undeniable purpose of schooling is to learn. Racial/gender/religious/ considerations are nice but shouldnâ(TM)t drive any of the decisions around which school you can attend. If you leave school without the ability to write, listen, process information, and contribute new ideas then itâ(TM)s a fail. Not being able to do this but having a firm grasp of random sensitivities is still a fail. The number of folks that decide to have kids but only factor in the cost of things like a pushchair, diapers, clothing, etc. rather than the entire cost of their upbringing continues to disappoint me. If you want your kid to go to school A at times B and with diversity C, then donâ(TM)t expect the _public_ system that I help pay for to meet these goals. Canâ(TM)t afford the choices youâ(TM)d want your kid(s) to have? Then you should either not have kids, adjust your expectations, or find some way to make more money. This entitlement crap drives me crazy. Growing up, we were always taught that schooling was a privilege - not a right - and that we should treat it as such. The number of parents who believe that society should pander to accommodate their kids is jarring. You made them, theyâ(TM)re your responsibility, they get no special rights over adults, and I will admonish them if they are doing something that bothers me...exactly as I would do to an adult. Iâ(TM)m content to pay taxes for systems that benefit the wider society but donâ(TM)t directly benefit me, as I recognize that they improve the society I live in and hence improve my quality of life. On a couple of additional points... Homeschooling is a terrible idea for all the reasons already provided (parents are terrible educators, parents canâ(TM)t be expert enough in all subjects, kids grow up with relationship problems, religious nutbaggery, etc,). Safety of kids on the commute: statistics show that kids are safer now than in the past and itâ(TM)s the (social) media who are responsible for whipping people up into a froth about such concerns.
If I'm out for a drink I'm not looking for trouble. I'd rather drink in a bar which I know to be frequented by like-minded people and not run the risk of something kicking off. Bar-tracking vs injury? No contest.