Talk:Public education

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Compulsory Education[edit]

"Compulsory education laws exist in developed countries for a very, very good reason. I'd doubt Haitians would think that literacy would be a human rights violation."

A very, very good reason? How about "Students don't like school", which I explicitly mentioned? They don't hate educating themselves-at least not at first-as an innate curiosity and a desire to learn is vital for a species that is born with limited survival wisdom and a great deal of potential to acquire data. In fact, most children who claim to diislike learning probably don't have a clue about what they're actually saying. It should be correctly rephrased to, "I don't like being forced against my will to learn at school."

When considering education, you must take account the availability of knowledge and the amount of time one can allot for the purpose of gaining it. How many Haitans can obtain access to information in schools by searching it up, going to the library, finding an online source of education, or simply asking around? How many would set aside a portion of their day for that, as opposed to supporting their families? This is not usually a problem with developed countries; students usually do not need to take a direct role in their parents' work to survive, and there is an abundance of info that can be easily found. People can focus on jostling for a future position in a competitive business & career world and securing long-term benefits instead-a sort of Maslow's hierarchy, if you will.

Whether you like it or not, restricting freedom both in regards to attendance and issues within education that are labeled "disruptive to the learning process" is a violation of human rights. This is true regardless of whether they are compensated for it in some other way-if people got sent to prison for nothing and were supplied with an adequate amount of sustenance, this could hardly be called ideal in all but the most poverty-stricken of regions. You can argue that it is a justified violation, in the same sense that it is appropriate for people who commit crimes to have their human rights taken away. It is still a violation all the same.

--99.107.241.102 (talk) 09:55, 19 September 2013 (UTC)

This article is extremely biased[edit]

Seriously, this article proudly pounces that public education is the greatest thing ever, even though there are so many things wrong with it and there are so many things that aren't mentioned here. For example, things such as herd mentality, zero tolerance policies, increasing standardized testing, the fact that middle school is actually such a bad idea that cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore have gotten rid of them, factory-model education (which is what public school follows), the idea that all children are stupid and don't want to learn, and the lack of attention to the fact that alternative education and homeschooling are on the rise. So many things wrong with this article, so biased. --108.66.0.101 (talk) 23:57, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Maybe the schools in Philadelphia and Baltimore could benefit from studying the very fine public education systems in Canada, the EU, and Japan. Developed countries generally have first-rate public elementary and secondary education. If Americans would quit voting for every candidate who pushes through measures designed to cut public education off at the knees so they can have a few extra dollars to spend on big-screen TVs, McDonalds, and bad beer, maybe we wouldn't need this article in the first place. PowderSmokeAndLeather: Say something once, why say it again?.Moderator 00:02, 16 December 2013 (UTC)
It's one of the more blatant self-fulfilling prophecies. Gut funding, whine when systems have to reciprocate with practices that the BoN doesn't like, then propose "alternative education and homeschooling" when they've never been effectively done on a nationwide scale. Osaka Sun (talk) 00:07, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Here's a nice article for you to read: http://jessicasmock.com/2013/01/14/10-thoughts-by-an-educator-about-homeschooling-and-why-im-still-worried/comment-page-1/ These are all reasons why the current public education is experiencing a (slow) death. Homeschooling may be growing slowly, but imagine that number, combined with the increasing dissatisfaction with the education system, in 20 years. And of course alternative education won't be encouraged on a large scale, schools get funding from student attendance! As an honest question, what do you remember from school? Also, the "alleged history" is extremely ignorant. Wait, so, during the late 1800s, people weren't looking to prepare children for the tough industrial life which lay ahead of them? This is blatantly ignoring the socioeconomic conditions at the time. Of course the education system is modeled after factories! That's what it was designed for: the prepare kids for factory life! Heck, I've even seen a teacher admit that education is modeled after factories, yet defend it by saying "at least you have different people talking to you!". Here's a Ken Robinson video about the whole thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U --Hansgrohe (talk) 07:08, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Academic studies, please. Osaka Sun (talk) 07:14, 16 December 2013 (UTC)
That's a "blog post." Not an "article." My public education taught me how to tell the difference. PowderSmokeAndLeather: Say something once, why say it again?.Moderator 14:57, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Unfounded point, don't want to start an edit war[edit]

"it's blatant that many students wouldn't even bother wanting to be educated"

Is there any reason to believe that those students do get educated when coerced? — Unsigned, by: 86.49.8.80 / talk

I was just about to bring this up but it seems someone beat me to it. Arguably a lot of the points in that entire section are really just ageist assumptions about adolescences and children more broadly. Many people's mental health would be negatively impacted if they were slept in most days for days on end without doing anything productive, I would probably replace "blantant" with "potential risk" but even then do we have any evidence of what children would do if attendance was optional? Attendance was basically optional in practice though not officially for most students when I grew up in Canada at my high school. Some kids skipped school without any negative repercussions multiple days a week, but the vast majority of student still attended school every weekday. Making school "compulsory" without any enforcement didn't seem to make a difference. - Only Sort of Dumb (talk) 07:12, 6 June 2022 (UTC).

dum[edit]

the article acts like Public education is the best thing ever with 0 flaws when that is just biased bs Vortex (talk) 16:38, 31 May 2022 (UTC)

I noticed that too, btw I am currently in a Public School and I know what you mean Wik10 (talk) 15:15, 9 June 2022 (UTC)
Vortex is also user: Some dude, noted. ☭Comrade GC☭Ministry of Praise 15:38, 9 June 2022 (UTC)
I am not Vortex of user: Som dude, I just have opinions on teaching policy and bullying policy Wik10 (talk) 14:26, 10 June 2022 (UTC)

Why this article is bad[edit]

Number one it says that school teaches kids to think for themselves when that is literally a lie if anything he does the opposite. Number two makes it seem like the education system is perfect and has never been wrong when That is false. Number three it tryed to portray everyone Who knows it needs improvement as an idiot and a real idiots are the people Who made the system so bad.

Some dude (talk) 21:09, 5 June 2022 (UTC)

The article doesn't state that as a fact, it just lists it as a belief for a potential reason for schooling. The point is that it can do that. In the same list it lists public schools as indoctrination centres because that is another reason that some people believe public school exist. Schools aren't inherently incapable of teaching critical thinking, they have the potential to but likewise they have the potential to serve as propaganda centres. It depends on the educational policies informing schooling and how the curriculum is built and taught. Also it's spelled "tried" not "tryed"....honey did you go to school? - Only Sort of Dumb (talk) 07:17, 6 June 2022 (UTC).
of all the issues this article has, the op brings to light none of them. there isnt anything in the article that is explicitly or implicitly declaring the perfection of schools or the education system, nor does it attack anyone for pointing out its failures. its bizarre that someone could read the article as it stands and come away with that impression. it makes me wonder if they have even seen the article. AMassiveGay (talk) 11:38, 7 June 2022 (UTC)
It does that's a small spelling mistake it literally does Some dude (talk) 12:28, 7 June 2022 (UTC)
I see this troll is still being a nuisance... ☭Comrade GC☭Ministry of Praise 12:49, 7 June 2022 (UTC)