SCHOOL SUCKS: . But Education Rocks!
So why would someone who spent 27 years working in the formal education system say such a thing? Because for 27 years I tried, unsuccessfully, to change the "system" from within. Too much internal politics for it to ever happen!
The Formal Education System has never been relevant to real life and "success and happiness" within a career. The closest it ever comes is through Vocational Education, where accountability for job placement is mandated. However, even here the curriculum lags many years behind Industry Skill Needs because of a general lack of money to keep programs updated. At a minimum, the graduate will have to start a career with on-the-job training to bring their skills up to par. The advantage is that the graduate can usually get a job and earn an income and have very little, if any, debt. Especially if those skills were attained during high school or in the military.
Assuming one took the advice of their "guidance counselor" and followed that college-prep curriculum, they would be joining the other 67% of high school grads into huge debt with a college loan. Why? Because they didn't learn any job skills while in high school and were brain-washed into thinking they had to have a college degree to make it in this world.
The irony of all this is that even after a 4-year degree more than half of these 67% will not be able to get a job "in their field" because less than a third of the jobs even require a 4-year degree. This is only one reason why School Sucks!
Guidance Counselors, who spent all their life within the "educational system" need to be augmented with "Career Counselors" who can better direct students into successful careers. Unless the goal is to become a "professional" that requires special certifications, college just is NOT cost effective for most individuals. Two-year certificate programs maybe; but a better route might be entrepreneurial training and a vocational program related to the specific business aspirations. The money wasted on college tuition would cover start up costs for most businesses related to skills.
Another reason School Sucks is that it does not prepare a person to live in the real world. Beyond the 3-R's and technical/computer literacy, the structured school curriculum is simply designed to keep young people off the streets until they become of age.
This is where the "Education Rocks" part of my statement comes in. No matter how old a person gets they should never quit learning. The more you learn, and the more diversified that learning is, the better chance you will have for a productive and happy life.
So, rather than pushing for those high grades in subjects that will be of no use in life for those who don't intend to go to college, it makes more sense to do the minimum needed to get the minimum GPA that one's self-esteem can handle.
What do you do with all that extra time that it would have taken to get a higher GPA?
Self-Educate! There is so much available to learn on the internet today. Even the basics of many skills can be attained watching YouTube videos. The more diversified a person can become before getting out there in the real world, the better chance for success within that world; no matter what the choice for an income.
You should make use of the school library as much as possible and explore the internet for free and inexpensive courses available. Find your interests before spending a fortune on training you are either not interested in or have no aptitude for. The military will give free ASVAB tests to 11th graders to discover your aptitudes, whether you plan on going into the military or not. You can find “interest” surveys online to help find your true passions.
As I look at the surmounting college debt ($1.73 Trillion at this time) and the solutions by so-called educated persons (politicians) for removing this debt, I can only wish that I had tried harder to fight the system from within. The Federal Loan Forgiveness program only passes that debt on to taxpayers. The Federal Government doesn’t have any money of their own; they simply “print” more debt that costs all of us more in taxes and inflated prices.
Colleges today have become an even bigger Scam and an even bigger threat to our Democracy than they were 50 years ago. They most certainly fall under the category of "School Sucks".
The best thing an individual can learn today, while within the formal education setting, is: Learn to Learn. Then "Rock" their own education by self-motivated and self-directed learning about what they personally need to know to reach their personal goals in life. This requires access to the internet and a basic knowledge of how to surf it; a knowledge that can be learned from the average 10-year-old.
If you are wondering how all this ties in with our advocacy for Self-Reliance, just think about your own past. Perhaps you are where you are today because you fell victim to the "system" that was set up and run by many people who have never had a real job but have been confined to the walls of a "School" all their life.
Wherever you are in life, you can start building your “Bridge” to a better life by committing yourself to the Learn to Learn philosophy. 
Wealthy Affiliates is one of the best places you can learn all you need to know for successful online affiliate marketing. The cost is so much less than a college degree and the time needed to master it is much less than 4 years.
So we should see more high school students involved here! If you have teenagers in your life, please counsel them to think about these things. They don't need to fall into the "mold" that society has formed for them; and they will be happier and more successful if they don't!
Give those young adults a "gift" of WA and see how much better off they will be a year from now. You will get 45% of that money back as well!
Archie
Recent Comments
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Well said, Archie! I never really enjoyed school myself to be honest. I thought a lot of it to be a waste of time that I could instead spend on learning things I'd find helpful to know or at least had an inkling of interest in. But, on the other hand, I've always loved learning new things and new skills.
I totally agree, there is so much you can learn from the internet these days along with hands on training or just by actually "doing" what you're trying to become skilled at...at least in many occupations that don't require a degree to have a career in it.
I know I've learned so much here at WA that I'd never have thought I could do such as build websites or earn money from affiliate marketing...haha, I didn't even know what affiliate marketing was when I started here.
Excellent advice you've given to "learn to learn." Certainly something we can all gain from no matter what age. Never stop learning! Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!
Best wishes :) ~Sherry
Thank you, Sherry, for reading and for your excellent comments.
I know that your work with WA will bring you the success you are seeking.
This is exactly the kind of information they should be offering in school to help young people select a career path.
Enjoy your journey building and monetizing your websites. Reach out with any questions you have. There is a community of help here.
Archie
Learn to learn -- yes, that's a skill many have never developed. I am so glad for WA because I have learned an astounding amount in here, and for this old lady, that's just great...and there's more to come!
I did enjoy school, but perhaps I was lucky and chose to work hardest in the things I enjoyed most. College was for me just a great deal of fun. I have four years of courses but not nearly enough upper division hours to graduate. I was married; didn't need a career; so took courses I wanted to take. I'm really glad for that, because it perhaps gave me a broader education than I would have had by sticking to what they wanted me to take.
Yes, Fran, those required courses would have been much narrower than your diversified choices.
I could not agree more with everything you said in this blog! I have an Associate's Degree in General Studies, and a Bachelor's Degree In Political Science. What did I end up doing after the military? Working a customer service job for almost 3 years.
Now I work on earning my MBA online, build my online business through WA, and do DoorDash! I am glad I was getting paid by the G.I. Bill for most of that schooling so it was not a complete waste of time!
Don't beat yourself up, you could never have fixed the system. It's not designed to be fixed, its designed to do exactly what it does. The people who designed and run it don't want a nation of thinkers and innovators, they want a nation of obedient note takers!
You have gained so much wisdom with your experiences but you now are on the right track. And completely right about the attitude of the nation in general.
At least with the G.I. Bill, going to school was more like a part time job. That's the way I was able to get there as well. I would never had gone the debt route.
The MBA online, coupled with WA, will take you to your goals.
Archie
Wow, Archie!
These are VERY true words that you speak, my friend! Universities are a complete rip-off as far as educationg. I have 5 degrees from Kansas State University--all in business, but the only reason I did it is because the US Army paid for it in FULL! I learned so much more in the Army than I ever did in the University.
What drove home the point to me was when the dean of the college said, "Forget about what you learn here, because when you go to your job, they are going to teach oyu the way they do it there!" I had replied, "Well, then, Dr. Ott, if the Army sends you a check, can I just receive the Siploma?" He smiled and said, "No, it doesn't work that way."
I think the Military or Vocational / Trade Schools are definitely the route to go. For my job as a Locksmith, I trained under one here in town, also taking courses along the way, but most of my knowledge came from DOING the job. I eventually bought him out lock, stock and barrel (pardon the pun) in 1999, after having already beein in business myself for almost 7 years. The rest is history.
I agree with your assessment of the education system, Archie. IMHO a total travesty in my book!
Jeff
Ironically, Jeff, I learned more about teaching in a 3-week Navy Instructor Training course than I did earning a 4 year degree in secondary education. Just had to go through the process and pay the tuition to get the "certificate" to teach; and make less in the end than the person who delivers the mail and can't even get it in the right box.
I think this country needs to start over from the beginning. The systems, in all areas, are broken.
Archie
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I couldn’t agree more, Archie! In 5th grade, the system thought I had major learning disabilities and told my parents not to ever expect much from me. I then proceeded to graduate 11th in my class out of 1200 students because I figured out on my own how to learn. Despite this, I always felt stupid because of that 5th grade evaluation!
I’ve spent the last 20 years homeschooling my kids because of my experience.
Yes, I went to college and graduated with a degree…one I did not use.
My oldest daughter went to cosmetology school to become a hairdresser. Great choice on her part.
My son got HVAC certified and is now gaining experience in his field. He is married and has a baby on the way.
My second daughter wants to write or pursue photography. She’s brilliant and will succeed at whatever she chooses.
My third daughter wants to get a certificate in business with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, then open her own coffee shop and thrift store.
We will see about my last child. She graduates high school in a year and is smart as a whip.
The thing they all have in common is an understanding that they can learn and pursue whatever they choose, with or without college.
My best friend is a second grade teacher, and I could never do what she does! The school system is so messed up. My heart goes out to teachers who have to deal with the warped system they work within.
Our education system needs more than an overhaul. It needs tossed aside and completely replaced.
Our kids should never be encouraged to fit the “mold” society has formed for them. The greatest thing we can teach them is to ignore the mold and think for themselves.
Your mindset is spot-on!
Thanks for the follow. I have followed you back.
Best wishes,
Carrie
You were very wise, Carrie, in home schooling your children. You gave them the foundation they needed for success. I am sure the youngest child will do great as well because you have taught them to think outside the box (mold).
The crime is, you should have been paid the tax money that went into the corrupt system.
Yes, we do need to totally eliminate education and all other govt entities that exist today and replace them with private sectors. Competition creates cost effectiveness as well as quality.
Enjoy the forthcoming grandchild.
Archie
Thanks, Archie. Homeschooling is by far one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. And yes, the tax money would have been appreciated! Being a single-income family of seven was no cakewalk. We walked through some tough times, but it was worth it.
I WILL enjoy that grand baby, thank you!
Carrie