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You have to give kids more credit. Maybe if we stopped locking them up in compulsory age-based schools all day long and let them do more of what they enjoyed, w

You have to give kids more credit. Maybe if we stopped locking them up in compulsory age-based schools all day long and let them do more of what they enjoyed, we'd see how capable they can be when given real experiences at an early age. I've actually felt, when sitting in a cube farm building CRUD software, that a 10-year-old could do my job.

inovica 16y ago
I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old and I've been seriously struggling with this recently. I have put the eldest into a private school, which is great and he has come on tremendously, but I still am left with wondering if the classic way of educating ultimately isn't great for him. I have read about home schooling etc, but I just don't have the time to do this. I myself have never worked for a traditional company since I left university (I'm 40 years old now) and so have worked from home, had offices and generally a much more 'loose' working environment than most people so I'm more flexible. Just wish there was something else I could do - I need to look for something else for them to get life experience. Thanks for your comment - it's just sparked me thinking about it again
- trafficlight 16y ago
  I think some kind of part time apprenticeship-style program would be fantastic. I wish that I could have spent some meaningful time as a kid learning about different professions and skills. I believe that those experiences in turn would make the traditional school learning even better because it would enable kids to apply their new found knowledge in real world settings.
  - jcromartie 16y ago
    Apprenticeships are definitely a good way to learn. In Deschooling Society, Ivan Illich talks about the need for learning that is built-in to the world. He's very practical, and suggests that people get lifetime education credits from the government that would pay for employers that offer apprenticeships and learning in their workplaces.
  - benofsky 16y ago
    Here in Ireland we have what is called Transition Year which is in the 4th year of secondary school. This year is a lot freer in terms of the curriculum and is mostly spent by the students doing work experiences, internships and going abroad. Most parents here denounce it and call it crazy that kids aren't doing "structured" work for a year but I think it's brilliant, I certainly got an awful lot out of mine. Not exactly what you are suggesting but similar idea.
- benofsky 16y ago
  The idea of home schooling is great, that you can avoid the somewhat crazy regimented rote learning education system we still have but it's important to realize that socializing (and learning social skills) is a big part of school, a big part I think home schooled kids miss out on.

inovica 16y ago

I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old and I've been seriously struggling with this recently. I have put the eldest into a private school, which is great and he has come on tremendously, but I still am left with wondering if the classic way of educating ultimately isn't great for him. I have read about home schooling etc, but I just don't have the time to do this. I myself have never worked for a traditional company since I left university (I'm 40 years old now) and so have worked from home, had offices and generally a much more 'loose' working environment than most people so I'm more flexible. Just wish there was something else I could do - I need to look for something else for them to get life experience. Thanks for your comment - it's just sparked me thinking about it again

trafficlight 16y ago
I think some kind of part time apprenticeship-style program would be fantastic. I wish that I could have spent some meaningful time as a kid learning about different professions and skills. I believe that those experiences in turn would make the traditional school learning even better because it would enable kids to apply their new found knowledge in real world settings.
- jcromartie 16y ago
  Apprenticeships are definitely a good way to learn. In Deschooling Society, Ivan Illich talks about the need for learning that is built-in to the world. He's very practical, and suggests that people get lifetime education credits from the government that would pay for employers that offer apprenticeships and learning in their workplaces.
- benofsky 16y ago
  Here in Ireland we have what is called Transition Year which is in the 4th year of secondary school. This year is a lot freer in terms of the curriculum and is mostly spent by the students doing work experiences, internships and going abroad. Most parents here denounce it and call it crazy that kids aren't doing "structured" work for a year but I think it's brilliant, I certainly got an awful lot out of mine. Not exactly what you are suggesting but similar idea.
benofsky 16y ago
The idea of home schooling is great, that you can avoid the somewhat crazy regimented rote learning education system we still have but it's important to realize that socializing (and learning social skills) is a big part of school, a big part I think home schooled kids miss out on.