Should school be optional before 18?

[Epsilon]

I've spent a considerable amount of time pondering... should school be a choice at any age?

 

School is definitely critical, but some think the choice of whether or not an education is received is in the hands of the child.

 

What do you all think?

[Doublenature]

YEES!!! YEEEEES!!! YEEEEEEES!!!!!!!

[Kirkreng]

Well you already know my opinion this but i might as well post it here again for others.

 

I think it is okay the way it works now, that you are given a choice once you reach the age of 18. Because you can't give a child such an important choice. Because as child you don't have a good sense of responsibility and outlook of your future. As a child you don't really care, you live in the moment, which is the fun of being a child. This however can backfire if you give a child the ability to make choices with such an impact on the future of your live.

For example: You are 10 and you are given the choice of what you're going to eat(you don't have to eat the same every day) for the rest of your life. What will you say? You will pick burgers and candy of course, you don't consider the major health problems that come with it.

That is why you have and need parents to make decisions for you, they do actually know what is better for you(most of the time), whether you, at the time, want to believe it or not.

 

Note to self, cut down on the commas o.o

[Alyxx Thorne]

I agree with Kirk here. School is mandatory until 18 for a reason, it's at school you build up your social skills, learn about the world and in general develop as a human being. Now, some would probably claim that children can be homeschooled but I think the way children bond together and create a community is just as important, and school is like that, or was like that for me at least. It wasn't just about learning, it was also about finding friends and learning together.

[Scorpia]

no, it really shouldn't be optional, at least college is optional, but we're usually mature enough to decide to want more schooling by that point.

[Epsilon]

I originally thought "yes," but you've all made some good points. I'm voting no.

[Axeldeath]

Because you can't give a child such an important choice. Because as child you don't have a good sense of responsibility and outlook of your future. As a child you don't really care, you live in the moment, which is the fun of being a child. This however can backfire if you give a child the ability to make choices with such an impact on the future of your live.

 

Pretty much this.

[Doom Shepherd]

No, for the reasons quoted above, and also the reason that I am now old enough to objectively evaluate my childhood, and... Listen, this may upset some of you who are still kids, but...

 

Children are freakin' morons.. I was a straight-A student, IQ of 176, but still... Freakin' moron, when it came to the kinds of decisions rational adults have to make.

[Kirkreng]

I totally agree with you. Kids ARE morons.

[Alyxx Thorne]

Yeah, school is supposed to help us grow into responsible adults, so I think it should be mandatory.

[Blue]

Is a child responsible enough to make such a decision before the age of 18?

 

(Please consider that the ages of 1 day, 1 year, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are all ages that are less than 18.)

[ProHypster]

I propose a test for decision making rather then the traditional 16/18/19 year old barrier.

If a person at 16 is as smart and responsible as a 25 year old average person he should not be limited freedom.

Although people at 16 smarter then 25 year old average person usually find a way outside the system for their things....

This isn't only about school though, still I'm a strong anti-ageist

[alphabetagamma]

I propose a test for decision making rather then the traditional 16/18/19 year old barrier.

If a person at 16 is as smart and responsible as a 25 year old average person he should not be limited freedom.

Although people at 16 smarter then 25 year old average person usually find a way outside the system for their things....

This isn't only about school though, still I'm a strong anti-ageist

Knowledge isn't a good measure of intelligence. Taking a test on making the right decisions is easy, making (and acting on) the right decisions in real life is much harder. I think a better measure of maturity is when you realize how important school is and that you can't skip it if you plan on getting anywhere.

[Scorpia]

it'd be recklessly irresponsible for any government to decide to let children decide if they want to go to school...a child should definitely have rights, but some, if not most, rights are better left out of their hands.

[Alyxx Thorne]

The fun of being a kid is that you don't have responsobilities aside from going to school. It's much easier than being an adult where a lot more is expected from you.

[Kirkreng]

The bad part about it is that you don't even realize how good things are as a kid until you grow up.

[Alyxx Thorne]

Yeah, I kinda miss it.

[ProHypster]

I think a better measure of maturity is when you realize how important school is and that you can't skip it if you plan on getting anywhere.

I disagree.

 

Alyxx: I disagree

 

Kirkreng: I disagree

 

Bill Ludwick: Agreed

 

[Kirkreng]

I am confused, how can you agree with Bill but not me or Alyxx. We are all pretty much saying the same thing.

[ProHypster]

Nah, maybe your opinions are similar however I only agree with Bill's post that:

it'd be recklessly irresponsible for any government to decide to let children decide if they want to go to school...a child should definitely have rights, but some, if not most, rights are better left out of their hands.

 

Children =< 13 years old