One of the arguments in favor of the "schools bad" argument (or perhaps against?) is that there's a wide, wide variance in the quality of schools. The author alludes to this with respect to people. He suggests that some of his friends were probably bright in school, thus bored in school, and now their life is awesome because they can do what they want. But there are some schools in which it doesn't matter how bright you are, it still sucks, and there are other schools where even the below average students are treated well and school is generally a positive experience.
The other stuff? Sure. Kids bully kids -- that sucks, we should figure out how to stop it! Schools have budget problems and cut off A/C -- that sucks, we should figure out how to solve it! Kids shoved into rooms in identical desks and unable to fidget and have 3 hours of homework per day -- that sucks, we should figure out how to solve it!
I'm one of those who thinks school is good in the aggregate, for all of the reasons the author did. For the "fake" reason (science doesn't support the "school = bad" narrative) and for the "real" reason which is that I actually really enjoyed school.
But of course, that's in the aggregate. Overall, it's a net positive. It's hard to argue that schooling hurts our society.
It's also important for us to recognize that there are individuals and marginalized groups for which traditional schooling is not helping. I got bullied as a kid, as do many kids in today's world. There are kids that are truly bored because they understood the lesson the first time, but the teacher must repeat it 4-5 times for the sake of the entire class. There are kids that do better in highly structured programs, and others who do better in more free-wheeling programs. There are kids with disabilities and socioeconomic factors that make schooling difficult -- things like whether they can afford lunch that day, or have an abusive or helicopter parent.
It's important not only to recognize those, but to think: how can we solve those problems?
Of course, if it were easy, we'd have done it by now. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
Public schools are also places where people can meet people from all walks of life. Maybe it's the only place you experience physical violence, but it's also the only place most people experience true diversity in.
I thinl social aspect of schools is the most important thing: kids learn how and where they fit in a society, no matter how artificially bound it is in school years.
And it's wrong to say people don't experience bullying after school: it may not be physical, but plenty of bad colleagues and managers to go around. Understanding social dynamics among a group of different people is crucial to going through life later on.
The other stuff? Sure. Kids bully kids -- that sucks, we should figure out how to stop it! Schools have budget problems and cut off A/C -- that sucks, we should figure out how to solve it! Kids shoved into rooms in identical desks and unable to fidget and have 3 hours of homework per day -- that sucks, we should figure out how to solve it!
I'm one of those who thinks school is good in the aggregate, for all of the reasons the author did. For the "fake" reason (science doesn't support the "school = bad" narrative) and for the "real" reason which is that I actually really enjoyed school.
But of course, that's in the aggregate. Overall, it's a net positive. It's hard to argue that schooling hurts our society.
It's also important for us to recognize that there are individuals and marginalized groups for which traditional schooling is not helping. I got bullied as a kid, as do many kids in today's world. There are kids that are truly bored because they understood the lesson the first time, but the teacher must repeat it 4-5 times for the sake of the entire class. There are kids that do better in highly structured programs, and others who do better in more free-wheeling programs. There are kids with disabilities and socioeconomic factors that make schooling difficult -- things like whether they can afford lunch that day, or have an abusive or helicopter parent.
It's important not only to recognize those, but to think: how can we solve those problems?
Of course, if it were easy, we'd have done it by now. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.