>The United States has one of the best and most forward thinking public
education
>systems in the world and of all time. All citizens have access to
education, in
>fact it is mandated for school age children barring alternative home or
other
>schooling.
The United States educational system is completely backwards in how it looks at things. Our current system was developed to produce masses of people who had the necessary skills to work the factory jobs that came as a result of the industrial revolution. They demand that everybody learn the exact same subjects at the exact same time, at the exact same pace, and in the exact same way. They deny students any sense of self-direction and self-responsibility. They force children to learn to be spoon-fed what somebody else thinks they need to know to get through life. It's no wonder so many adults don't know what they want to do; they are still waiting for somebody to tell them.
BTW, are you actually in favor of the notion of compulsory education?
>I had the opportunity to work for the local school district in high school
as a
>computer assistant for a couple hours after school, I worked for the
special
>services department that provides track based learning to both
developmentally
>disabled and accelerated students. They are wonderful people.
I have no doubt that many wonderful people are involved in the educational field. That doesn't change my point one single bit.
>I was subjected to a rigorous public education, and am the better for it.
You are the first person I have heard say that. I have heard many, many more say otherwise. I am certainly in favor of a child's right to choose that style of education if he wishes.
>Learning is a lifelong process. Learning isn't just about school, it's
also about
>socialization skills and the myriad other things that make life a rich
tapestry.
How can a school system which segragates children by age and ability level prepare him for the real world where none of that takes place? How can a system which denies a child any power to make his own decisions teach him self-responsibility?
>The educational system serves everyone, and as it is said, not all the
people are
>pleased all the time. That said, free public education is the backbone of
>America.
Unless I hallucinated my last property tax bill, public education is far
from
free.
Jocelyn Brown
jocelynb@mindspring.com
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