RE: Steemit In Schools: How We're Empowering Kids To Free Themselves
Yeah, I guess I find myself on the side of advocating the completely free market system. Those on the opposing side usually believe that the education services being provided are so important that their absence in a child's live is unacceptable. I disagree pretty firmly with that and am of the opinion that learning happens all the time and shouldn't be thought of as something that's confined to a special facility. Even a penniless hobo can wander into a library and learn pretty much anything at all if he actually wants to. The internet has broken down barriers to information even more, smart phones can be purchased for about ten bucks, and most cities even have free wifi hotspots... and then there's also the moral aspect to consider. As far as I'm concerned, it's wrong to force anything on anyone. If I don't want to pay for the services that someone else wants, I shouldn't have to. Likewise, I shouldn't be imprisoned in an institution for six hours per day to be educated against my will. I'll never send my kids to school. They'll learn as they wish to, at their own pace... but obviously my position is a controversial one and I certainly don't expect everyone to agree. I'm content to just for offer a different perspective and highlight new options and alternatives to what most people take for granted as the norm.
I thank you very much for your perspectives and rationally thought out comments! I do stop short of the belief of a free compulsory education as a version of imprisonment, but do agree about learning needing to be the constant with time being the variable. Right now, our system can unfortunately sometimes promote quite the opposite of that. I can't even begin to tell you the times I have lamented having to just move forward with material for the sake of fitting in the necessary curriculum.
This being said, there are strides being made in the direction of learning being the constant, but mostly baby steps. And, of course, no one agrees about which direction is best. I really appreciate the debate though, and much like this conversation, believe it to be completely healthy.
When it comes to educational reform, I am behind anything that puts student learning paramount, with equitable and free access with full supports offered for all learners. Supports that would encourage the "penniless hobo" to learn at their own pace and subsidies to provide them the ability to do so. Getting there though, is the battle!
Yeah, I have a lot of ideas about how to achieve that but unfortunately, most of them are illegal. lol So instead, I moved down to South America to start a new start-up community where innovators can gather to experiment with new concepts and demonstrate them practically. Theories are nice but most people need to see something working in the flesh before they'll take it very seriously.