• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    No, but for other reasons. Namely that I do not think education should be a for-profit enterprise. I do not believe that everything in our world should be a business or run like a business. Certainly not schools or prisons. We owe children more than that.

    I certainly cannot agree with you that children who don’t want to learn should be allowed to avoid it. Children’s brains are not fully developed. They do not know what is best for them or how to make the best rational choices. This is why we don’t allow children to consent to sex, something I hope you would agree with.

    I am assuming from your age that you are not a parent, but even if you are, your child is unlikely to be of school age. I have a 13-year-old. Sometimes she doesn’t want to learn. I still make her learn because she also sometimes doesn’t want to shower or eat properly and I make her do those things for the same reason. I want a child that can do whatever they want in life, not live some short, unhappy life because they made bad choices as a child.

    • aidan@lemmy.worldM
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      1 year ago

      Namely that I do not think education should be a for-profit enterprise.

      That’s an understandable position, I don’t agree but I understand your position on that.

      They do not know what is best for them or how to make the best rational choices.

      The problem is nobody can know what’s best for someone else.

      This is why we don’t allow children to consent to sex, something I hope you would agree with.

      The difference is opting into something vs opting out of something, it is much easier to make the decision of opting out rather than opting in- as well as significantly less harmful. Furthermore, in the case of sex the child is being exploited- it is disgusting to compare this.

      Sometimes she doesn’t want to learn.

      Do you think you are ever at points pushing her into the life you want for her rather than what she might want? Furthermore, do you think its fair to generalize the experiences of other people’s children to force your child to go somewhere for 13 years of her life? I think its important in an individualist society to recognize whats good for some, or even for the majority, shouldn’t be forced on everyone. I think exercise is good for the vast majority of people- its not my place to dictate that decision for others though.

      I want a child that can do whatever they want in life, not live some short, unhappy life because they made bad choices as a child.

      Except for the first 18 years of it. I believe that most children want to learn if they can be convinced it is useful and interesting- same as adults. Public schooling doesn’t offer that.

      For more info on that, Against Schooling by John Taylor Gatto, although I don’t agree with all of it. I also generally agree with Ivan Illich’s proposal for how consensual schooling could work in Deschooling Society.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Do you think you are ever at points pushing her into the life you want for her rather than what she might want?

        She might not want to shower. She’s still going to learn that showering is necessary because she will not succeed in life if she smells bad. No, she is not free to smell bad. Her brain is not developed enough for her to understand why.

        • aidan@lemmy.worldM
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          1 year ago

          Have you ever tried explaining the reasoning to her and discussing it with her? And, do you remind her how she smells? Did you empathize with her response?

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Of course, but at some point you have to tell a child to do something. Because, again, their brains aren’t fully developed. This is a neurological fact.

            • aidan@lemmy.worldM
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              1 year ago

              To some extent. But I think dictating how they spend 8 hours a day for 13 years is a bit extreme.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                When spending that time is the difference between success and poverty, I don’t see it as extreme at all.

                You seem to feel they should have full agency, so should they be allowed to consent to sex?

                • aidan@lemmy.worldM
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                  1 year ago

                  When spending that time is the difference between success and poverty, I don’t see it as extreme at all.

                  Not for the education, for the diploma.

                  You seem to feel they should have full agency, so should they be allowed to consent to sex?

                  It seems like you want me to say that- I already I explained my reasoning for not. I also don’t think they should be allowed to buy hard drugs or alcohol.

                  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                    1 year ago

                    I don’t see the functional difference between not being allowed to consent to refuse to go to school and not being allowed to consent to have sex if this is about freedom of choice.