| When people find out that I never graduated | | | | |
| high-school, they are often shocked. They | | | | Instead of letting children naturally learn |
| know I am very smart and knowledgeable, and | | | | what they want, the school system shoves an |
| they think that means I should not have | | | | "education" down the children's throats, |
| dropped out of school. This probably means | | | | which unfortunately turns many of them off to |
| that they either think a person cannot learn | | | | learning. Unfortunately, after going to |
| outside of school, or that a smart person | | | | school, many children associate learning with |
| would not choose to drop out of school. | | | | the disgusting authoritarianism of school. |
| | | | Students begin to falsely view learning as |
| Not only can a person learn outside of | | | | bell schedules, hall passes, mandatory class |
| school, I believe that a person can and | | | | assignments, standardized curricula, and all |
| usually does learn better without | | | | the other unpleasant and authoritarian |
| institutional schooling. In turn, a truly | | | | aspects of institutional schooling. |
| smart person would neither go to school nor | | | | |
| send their children to school--at least not | | | | Children who are not forced into school, and |
| to the mainstream public schools. | | | | ones who are smart enough to refuse to go, |
| | | | are not turned off like the others. These |
| In my experience, mainstream schools do not | | | | children love to learn. They enjoy |
| teach children to learn. The goal of these | | | | researching topics of interest. They become |
| schools is not education, but rather | | | | curious about new things that they encounter, |
| socialization and indoctrination. The point | | | | and like to look up information about these |
| of mainstream schools and standardized | | | | things. For example, many |
| education is to turn unique, free-spirited | | | | mechanically-inclined children like to order |
| individuals into standardized, obedient | | | | build-it-yourself kits for various items, |
| workers. | | | | from a birds nest to a whole home computer. |
| | | | In another example, many youths spend hours |
| Children are naturally inquisitive and | | | | at a time rummaging through Wikipedia |
| curious, but the mainstream education system | | | | articles, merely out of personal interest. |
| does not want children who think for | | | | |
| themselves and ask questions. The mainstream | | | | Schools teach children to not learn. People |
| education system wants children who | | | | learn better without school. Even if you go |
| unquestioningly believe what they are told | | | | to school, do not rely on it solely; augment |
| and unquestioningly do what they are told. To | | | | your education by also learning |
| that end, the mainstream education system | | | | out-of-school. Whatever you do, good luck and |
| attempts to destroy children's innate | | | | have fun! |
| curiosity and free-spirit. | | | | |