Compulsory education

by proust. Thu 09 Oct 2008, 7:48 pm

Universal Declaration of Human Rights wrote:Article 26

1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

I had an interesting talk with Emily about this.

Should education be compulsory?

I understand that the declaration is in such a way written so that it would guaranty the access to elementary and higher education to all human beings, but I can't help but wonder what would our society today look like if students didn't *have* to go to school, but some chose to and others didn't.

Moreover, nowadays high school is compulsory in most countries. Is high school ''elementary education''?

I personally don't think it is. Basic reading and writing skills are elementary education in my book.

Discuss.

I just realized that this reminds me a bit of Hesse's The Glass Beans Game. But I've talked enough about what I think.

by makoto kino. Fri 10 Oct 2008, 4:47 am

I think Education should be compulsory.

by **the takedown.** Fri 10 Oct 2008, 6:57 am

so do i.

but..

i think you shouldnt HAVE to pay for it.

by proust. Fri 10 Oct 2008, 4:18 pm

les amoureux. wrote:I think Education should be compulsory.

Why?

I mean apart from basic skills I don't see why we should force everyone to learn things they don't really want to learn.

by makoto kino. Mon 13 Oct 2008, 3:22 pm

Education and schooling not only teaches basic knowledge, its basic people skills, basic socialisation, learning to work in a cohesive environment.

by bittersweet. Mon 13 Oct 2008, 3:41 pm

I think education should be compulsory through middle school/junior high. Up to there is the point where I think you're learning skills that everyone needs.

But I'm in high school now, and I'm really not going to need much of the stuff I'm learning in my career. It all seems a bit specialized to be taking it all. And once you get to high school, you already know all the social skills that are needed.

It'd be really harsh, though, to make people decide on their future when they're in ninth grade, though. So I dunno. :/

by belle of the boulevard. Mon 13 Oct 2008, 10:11 pm

i think it's a good idea.

we might not value it now, but like shal said, it's social skills and learning to work with others.
it's basic learning, and a sheltered environment until we're mature enough to cope with the world outside.
what else would we do?
look at those who treat school as optional.

by bittersweet. Tue 14 Oct 2008, 2:48 am

polly caught fire. wrote:look at those who treat school as optional.

That's one of the main reasons I think education should be compulsory...I know dozens of people like that, and none of them are going down the right road. Not only do they lack responsibility, honesty, etc, they really have no idea how to deal with people they don't like. Or any other basic social skills.

by proust. Tue 14 Oct 2008, 10:27 pm

Gianna wrote:
polly caught fire. wrote:look at those who treat school as optional.
That's one of the main reasons I think education should be compulsory...I know dozens of people like that, and none of them are going down the right road. Not only do they lack responsibility, honesty, etc, they really have no idea how to deal with people they don't like. Or any other basic social skills.

but what about those who are home-schooled?
Should homeschooling be, hm, not advised since school's main role is to teach us to socialize?

The thing is that, nowadays, you don't learn basic skills in high school anymore. I know we have one of the most complicate and hard curriculum in Europe, but am I the only one who learns completely useless things in school?
I mean, when I finish high school I'm supposed to be fluent in two modern languages, be able to translate from Latin, know the major cultural currents and have read the major universal philosophic and literary works -together with many many other things. And as much as I love learning most of those things, they are not basic skills.

I don't like having to learn something, just one small part. For example, I'm taking a Universal Literature class and on the module on Antic literature we only did the Iliad and the Antigone -however I was one of the two person in class who actually read both books, but that is an other matter. I want to do more, I'm interested in literature, I want to learn about Greek tragedies for a whole semester, a whole year even. But I can't. Because it's a compulsory course, and I only need to learn about one play and nothing more. Also, have you ever had the impression that you're the only one in class sincerely interested in what the teacher's saying? I'm a little frustrated girl and that frustrates me also.

Why force children to learn something they obviously don't want to learn, don't need to learn and will surely forget anyway?
It makes no sense to me, I'm telling you.
I don't know, maybe there should be more kinds of schools and gifted education should be more widespread.

I've made more noise than sense, I apologize.

by the way Mon 15 Dec 2008, 12:45 am

^I agree with the educational system being flawed (someone ought to be able to work out the kinks someday), but I think it should be compulsory in general.

For your countries, at least.
Because in ours, education is a privilege.

Even if public schools have crappy teachers, limited supplies, cramped classrooms... Lots of poor kids would give up anything to be able to finish school.
Otherwise they just end up like their parents-- stuck in a blue collar job, continuing the cycle.

The lower class treat it as a blessing, though I admit that sometimes I take it for granted.

by belle of the boulevard. Mon 15 Dec 2008, 4:02 am

i think the things you call useless do have a purpose.

they enable us to be able to converse on more things other than current issues, and we can understand our past better. we can relate to our ancestors by having a fuller grasp of their cultures.

maths, i say is useless, and for the most part it is, but it's still opportunities which we shouldn't waste.
you don't know when they might help, and you might have a change of heart and realise that yes, maths is your ideal career (extremely unlikely over here) but all in all, we do need maths, a lot more than we would think.

by proust. Mon 15 Dec 2008, 5:09 am

the way. wrote:^I agree with the educational system being flawed (someone ought to be able to work out the kinks someday), but I think it should be compulsory in general.

For your countries, at least.
Because in ours, education is a privilege.

Even if public schools have crappy teachers, limited supplies, cramped classrooms... Lots of poor kids would give up anything to be able to finish school.
Otherwise they just end up like their parents-- stuck in a blue collar job, continuing the cycle.

The lower class treat it as a blessing, though I admit that sometimes I take it for granted.

What stops them from finishing school?
Elementary education is compulsory in all countries, the definition of elementary is different.

I just think you should have the right to not go to school the same way you should have the right to die as well as the right to live.

And Polly, I think social connections, at least the types you get in schools are necessary to the learning process.
I don't usually talk about my culture in school, and as I live in a quiet small town not a cultural melting-pot there isn't much cultural diversity to discuss anyway. And I don't do maths in my last two years of high school.

by **she had the world.** Mon 15 Dec 2008, 5:41 am

shipwrecked wrote:
polly caught fire. wrote:look at those who treat school as optional.
That's one of the main reasons I think education should be compulsory...I know dozens of people like that, and none of them are going down the right road. Not only do they lack responsibility, honesty, etc, they really have no idea how to deal with people they don't like. Or any other basic social skills.

The only problem with that, is for the people who don't want to be schooled they will cause disruptions in the class. Which in a lot of ways effects the learning of the other pupils who have chosen to remain in school.

So yes, I believe compulsory education is good. Except that if it was implemented, students who are at school to learn and not because they are told they have to by law, shouldn't have their education affected by those who are being forced to be there.

by the way Wed 17 Dec 2008, 9:09 pm

kafka. wrote:
the way. wrote:^I agree with the educational system being flawed (someone ought to be able to work out the kinks someday), but I think it should be compulsory in general.

For your countries, at least.
Because in ours, education is a privilege.

Even if public schools have crappy teachers, limited supplies, cramped classrooms... Lots of poor kids would give up anything to be able to finish school.
Otherwise they just end up like their parents-- stuck in a blue collar job, continuing the cycle.

The lower class treat it as a blessing, though I admit that sometimes I take it for granted.
What stops them from finishing school?
Elementary education is compulsory in all countries, the definition of elementary is different.

I just think you should have the right to not go to school the same way you should have the right to die as well as the right to live.

And Polly, I think social connections, at least the types you get in schools are necessary to the learning process.
I don't usually talk about my culture in school, and as I live in a quiet small town not a cultural melting-pot there isn't much cultural diversity to discuss anyway. And I don't do maths in my last two years of high school.

Poverty.

by david c Sat 20 Dec 2008, 11:15 pm

kafka. wrote:
Why force children to learn something they obviously don't want to learn, don't need to learn and will surely forget anyway?

Education is flawed. so scrap it?
sounds like 'life is flawed... i want to end it'

ie. the ideal to work toward is in my opinion reforming education to make it effective. Letting kids drop out of school is to me like throwing the baby out with the bath water... The problem's there to be fixed, not removed at all costs.. :P

but then i'm against euthansia as well, so i guess it may be irreconcilable differences LOL

by Sponsored content

Compulsory education

Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education

Re: Compulsory education