In my 12 years of working in a library and seeing kids' homework, teens' homework, and adult in college's homework, I am not aware of any connection between government schooling and actual knowledge. If a person is curious and has opportunities, they'll learn. Otherwise they'll remain stupid and just vote for what some charismatic figure on the radio/tv who gets them excited tells them to. The last time I was in a jury selection pool was eye-opening.
Well, that all depends on the *quality* of the education of course! Some countries have great State education. Mine was OK, not brilliant, but OK. Other countries, usually ones that don't value education, don't do so well.
Sure, the more motivated will educate themselves no matter what the learning environment is. But I don't think we should leave things to happenstance. States should provide good (and hopefully very good) education as a matter of course. Such things help *everyone* both in the short & long term.
I love this quote by John Green: • "Public education does not exist for the benefit of students or the benefit of their parents. It exists for the benefit of the social order. • We have discovered as a species that it is useful to have an educated population. You do not need to be a student or have a child who is a student to benefit from public education. Every second of every day of your life, you benefit from public education. • So let me explain why I like to pay taxes for schools, even though I don't personally have a kid in school: It's because I don't like living in a country with a bunch of stupid people." The last sentence explains it all.
8 comments:
Absofuckinlutely!
I don't understand why some people/parties are against State funding for education. It's *almost* as if they WANT the electorate to be stupid....!
In my 12 years of working in a library and seeing kids' homework, teens' homework, and adult in college's homework, I am not aware of any connection between government schooling and actual knowledge. If a person is curious and has opportunities, they'll learn. Otherwise they'll remain stupid and just vote for what some charismatic figure on the radio/tv who gets them excited tells them to. The last time I was in a jury selection pool was eye-opening.
Well, that all depends on the *quality* of the education of course! Some countries have great State education. Mine was OK, not brilliant, but OK. Other countries, usually ones that don't value education, don't do so well.
Sure, the more motivated will educate themselves no matter what the learning environment is. But I don't think we should leave things to happenstance. States should provide good (and hopefully very good) education as a matter of course. Such things help *everyone* both in the short & long term.
I love this quote by John Green:
• "Public education does not exist for the benefit of students or the benefit of their parents. It exists for the benefit of the social order.
• We have discovered as a species that it is useful to have an educated population. You do not need to be a student or have a child who is a student to benefit from public education. Every second of every day of your life, you benefit from public education.
• So let me explain why I like to pay taxes for schools, even though I don't personally have a kid in school: It's because I don't like living in a country with a bunch of stupid people."
The last sentence explains it all.
All *very* true. Public education is a public GOOD. It helps *everyone*.
Yes. I'd gladly pay more taxes if it meant bettering our schools.
Indeed.... But it does seem that some Parties/politicians actually *want* people to be stupid/uneducated... I wonder WHY? [muses]
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