Schooling
The opposite of EDUCATION.
A set of courses and lessons designed by a state or academic institution containing whichever prescribed information they believe will produce an obedient citizen. This is by design, and a minor examination of the origins of modern Western schooling would not inspire faith in the system.
Beyond the categorically sabotaging design of schools, there are further confounding factors inherent to schooling. Students who flourish in schooling will perceive it as a worthwhile and valuable pursuit, and some of them become TEACHERS. Teachers obviously like school, otherwise they would not dedicate so many years working towards an occupation that permits them to stay there forever. As a result, the system is self-validating, and it will become a reflection of the values and priorities of teachers, who were once obedient and enthusiastic students.
Schooling has a tendency to marginalize students who demonstrate a proclivity for trades. If the establishment can characterize trades as lowbrow or menial, it improves the chances that students will find academic careers more attractive, which translates into more money for universities and colleges. This is despite the fact that tradespeople build and maintain everything, and they are the only ones capable of keeping communities functioning during tough times.
Teachers and administrators would be utterly useless in a time of crisis, if not a hindrance. This means that, of course, that we require many more of both.
This is why schooling does not prepare anyone for the real world: it does not teach students anything that would be useful outside of an academic setting. Additionally, it is why both teachers and the broader academic establishment consistently fail to manage, develop, or educate children with divergent neurobiology and behaviours.
Schooling seeks to jam square pegs into round holes, and if our children cannot suffer the squeeze, their futures will be held hostage until they learn to comply.
Revised: 11 Jan 2023
