Mandatory/Public Education

[Minty]

Are you against the fact that education is mandatory or public education in general? Your argument seems to be switching between the two a bit.

I'm against both. I have been switching between them- sorry if that's a bit confusing.

I think education should be mandatory until age 16. I think thats what it is in many countries in Europe. Schooling will teach them basic skills by that point, so they won't be completely incompetent.

Skills? Since when are skills learnt by sitting in classrooms? As far as I see it, school creates young adults who are incompetent at nearly everything except how to sit and listen to the things their teacher says. Unless, of course, they take the initiative to learn these things themselves.
Just as an update, the British government has raised the age to 18. It's an obvious cover-up to the rate of unemployment and irks me how they can just do that, but anyway...

My concern with making school not mandatory is simply that giving it to the free market isn't always an amazing idea, not everyone would get an education. Yeah, not everyone gets one today, but I feel like the numbers would drop. Homeschooling might rise but growing up, by age 14 or so I knew more than my parents about most things. Not that they would have the time to home school me. Private schools can be extremely expensive, not to mention that I am nearly certain most are religiously affiliated. Every private school any of my friends went to, which was about 8 different schools that come to mind, all had mandatory prayer classes.

The free market provides (notice the non-conditional) education much more efficiently than public schools.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W99ziyoUpSQ&playnext_from=TL&videos=1BfyZy5eYCA&feature=sub

Regarding religion: you're describing the situation now. I hear this all of the time about homeschooling in particular. It is a selective bias that public school is the norm and other methods of education are seen as on the fringe and practised by non-normal people. Why is it such a surprise, then, when the non-normal methods start attracting non-normal people?
Laissez-faire, you would see a wide variety of schools. If Johnny Church (who, as you say, holds the current monopoly on the private side) wants a religious school and Annie Agnostic wants a secular school, the beauty is that they are both free to teach whatever they want.

And then there would probably be the parents that don't trust that there book-learnin', or simply don't care. At least if your parents don't care today you can still get an education if you want one. If education wasn't mandatory, with or without public schools still around, I feel that if your parents didn't care, you wouldn't get an education, and thats that.

Are the children not a factor in this?

So we really do need some public education. From what I can tell you are against public education in general and are taking an ultra-conservative "FREE MARKET EVERYTHING" approach to this. Thats a bullshit approach to doing things.

I have not said "free market everything". I have quite clearly specified education, although I do prescribe to a somewhat libertarian view of free market most-things. However, that's irrelevant.

Finally, your method of arguing doesn't put you on any podium or anything. Saying that its slavery and that those are the best years of your life, it makes you come off as some kid who hated school growing up. Or some kid that hates school, and is still in it.

I think it's clear that I hated school, and I'm not alone. It doesn't take a genius to see a link between school and the ridiculously high suicide rate in teens. Many pressures; bullying, peer pressure, fashion, piles of menial work given bloated status, competitive examination, stress, etc., all arise from school.
Hmm, the hyperbolic slavery reference isn't my usual style of arguing and "the best years of your life" is clearly irony, son.

 

[Case]

and "the best years of your life" is clearly irony, son.

Irony is the most subtle of all the fine arts of humour. Don't you dare use Her name in vain again. Didn't anyone ever teach you the meaning of irony?

 

[Unwardil]

Irony is the most subtle of all the fine arts of humour. Don't you dare use Her name in vain again. Didn't anyone ever teach you the meaning of irony?

Yeah... It's like goldy and bronzy, only it's made of iron.