The School Survival Movement: Abolish Compulsory Schooling

[GamerGurl]

(10-26-2014 04:18 AM)Hansgrohe Wrote:  After careful thinking and consideration, yes, I will officially lend support to the Abolish Compulsory Schooling movement, and it should be one of the many parts of School Survival and reviving the School Survival movement. I may not agree with the position of abolishing compulsory education immediately, but I can see that there is a large enough crowd to cater.

SirMarty, I think you should consider making a website for this, with it's own separate forum, etc. The thing is, School Survival is too vague to house your movement. The beauty of it all is that many of the people here who hate school have different positions on things, etc and different personalities, etc. I'm thinking we need to keep creating more sites, etc. SSN and ACS (Abolish Compulsory Schooling) should have different goals with different communities that are nonetheless parallel. We can cooperate with StuVoice, etc. What I'm thinking is that we need to divert as much as we can without being too disunified. It was a mistake to try to homogenize SS and focus on specific goals. The key to jumpstarting our movement and ideologies is to have a variety of options. Or else, we're shooting ourselves in the foot with the same one size fits all model.

I hope you do feel genuine about it, Hans, because you seemed pretty adamant about your stance earlier. All I ask for is that you support it if you really do support it, and not just doing so to give what some or most of us on SS might want to hear.

However, if what you say is true, I'm glad you're reconsidering your stance and want to give ACS a chance.

Now please allow me to address your points individually...

Quote:I will officially lend support to the Abolish Compulsory Schooling movement, and it should be one of the many parts of School Survival and reviving the School Survival movement.

I'm gonna try and avoid calling this a movement of SS in any sense. I know the title of this thread says otherwise, but it was mainly added there only because it kinda made sense in the terms of what people really thought of school here and because it looked good.

I would love for the terms to be synonymous, but for now, ACS is the movement and SS is the community that serves as a catalyst for it. I don't want another shitstorm to start because everyone thinks I'm speaking for them.

Quote:I may not agree with the position of abolishing compulsory education immediately, but I can see that there is a large enough crowd to cater.

Can you be more specific here? What I was really hoping was that we could get many parents, students and kids, and even educators possibly who'd want to endorse this and collectivize to the point where our elected officials will have no choice but to overturn these compulsory laws.

For the lack of a better way to say this, the same thing happened with gay marriage, right? Even voting for women and minorities? Unless something extremely radical were to occur in the event that our elected officials aren't of any help at all, all I can see right now is them voting on it.

Quote:SirMarty, I think you should consider making a website for this, with it's own separate forum, etc. The thing is, School Survival is too vague to house your movement. The beauty of it all is that many of the people here who hate school have different positions on things, etc and different personalities, etc. I'm thinking we need to keep creating more sites, etc.

I actually left this out, but another reason why we wanted SS in the name (even though it's only in the name of a thread and on the site...) is because DoA and I felt that we are the heart of this forum. We want to protect the interests of those who will succeed us, and in his own words, "Those people will, in all likelihood, be school students who are younger and more extreme than the jaded, older users that surround us." I agree with him there as well.

We feel that SS is a legacy. We want to maintain that legacy, and we want to embrace the legacy's progression rather than hogging or squandering it the way DnE did (I assume he's referring to the bit of time earlier this year when I was MIA from SS), and the way many of the current users are doing.

Hans, for the lack of a better way to say this, this is basically how I and how DoA would possibly feel on your idea. As blunt as it may sound, we want SS to serve as a catalyst for the ACS movement. We want SS to be a foundation in the sense that it would provide us an all-ready sustainable and formed website and forum, and that it would allow us to more easily market and progress this movement due to how long SS has been on the internet.

I'm pretty sure xcriteria did the same thing you're talking about by having SSN be its own website and forum—and now it's SS's sister site, so to speak—but in general I also don't really want that. I want this to stay organized and avoid SS into becoming a convoluted community that divides into several other subgroups.

Quote:SSN and ACS (Abolish Compulsory Schooling) should have different goals with different communities that are nonetheless parallel. We can cooperate with StuVoice, etc.

Well if you've read up this point, you can possibly see how I want ACS to remain both a different and same community alongside SS. It would be different in the sense that this targets a certain group of school-adverse learners within SS, but it would be the same in the sense that this is being hosted by SS and that we can coexist with those who may not share our same views.

I'm all for cooperating with other groups that do share our views, but I'm still quite hesitant to pursue StuVoice. I know xcriteria posted a thread on their FB that tagged me explaining how some of us want to dispose of compulsory schooling, and beside a couple of "likes" not much was really said (I don't think anything was said at all actually ). Would StuVoice not only acknowledge something like this, but would they accept it?

Quote:What I'm thinking is that we need to divert as much as we can without being too disunified.

I'm pretty sure everything I've said up to this point can explain why I disagree with that haha.

Quote:It was a mistake to try to homogenize SS and focus on specific goals. The key to jumpstarting our movement and ideologies is to have a variety of options. Or else, we're shooting ourselves in the foot with the same one size fits all model.

It may have sounded like I was trying to do such thing, but hopefully this page in particular explains why ACS isn't trying to homogenize SS. We're more or less trying to homogenize the individuals in SS who want to dispose of compulsory schooling.

And like the Democrats in the Senate, aren't we currently the majority subgroup within the forums? DoA did host a poll that asked for your real opinion on education, and a majority of votes chose an end to compulsory schooling, but I do know that that isn't enough. We need more than just a poll from any forum member. I do realize that many different people go on the IRC and/or FB group without ever registering on these forums, and that there are others who'll just lurk the forums without wanting to see how they feel whether they do agree with that stance or take a different approach.

In a sense, ACS is an option, but not everyone in SS is obligated to partake. I will try and make myself sound less like I'm trying to speak like everyone, but I think I've cleared that up already even with the social media pages. One of the first things I state in their descriptions is that we are a division of SS, so the reader doesn't get the idea that we represent SS as a whole.

And I agree, we are not a one-size-fits-all, but that is why with an end to compulsory schooling, those that do favor school and want to help that system can continue attending while those who, like ACS, want a choice to attend and feel free to withdraw to continue our way of life, whatever we may do and however we may do so.

[James Comey]

It pretty much came to me that if we're going to move forward, we need to squash this beef. Although I can't say I'll fully be 100% with ACS, I'll definitely more than support it, chime in, and I'd love to see ACS posting in StuVoice threads, etc and contributing. To me I want to see the School Survivor movement grow into something like hip-hop did back in the 1980s and early to mid 90s when there wasn't one type like you hear on the radio today, but there was so much going on and so much variety. I'd like to see the Survivor movement have a good amount of variety, but in the end, we're trying to achieve the same set of goals.

I'm iffy on the whole School Survival being the main catalyst for ACS, but personally I think we should avoid SS being used as any kind of main catalyst. I'd more like to see it as a central hub where all our movements (SSN, ACS, etc) are interconnected and interchange.

As for my comments on reaching the goal of abolishing CS, I just personally think it's a bit premature to start going on abolishing it immediately. However, as the weeks have passed, I agree. Some radicalism is needed. It may take a while, but we might get there (especially given that my positions with say, special education and student government and leadership are extreme in themselves).

Regardless, I think we can come to agree with most of what we're saying anyway. I don't want to see any more beefs personally. Beefs are killing School Survival. Beefs killed us in July when we could have started something. Let's move forward.

[brainiac3397]

SS is the social club. Whatever other membership members of the community decide to pursue is totally up to them. However, I personally don't think that a "shared" membership implies ownership of one group by a "primary"(aka ACS being a branch of SS, whereas being an affiliate would be more appropriate)

[GamerGurl]

Split posts to Split Discussions. Discuss it there:
http://forums.school-survival.net/forumd...php?fid=53

[GamerGurl]

(10-26-2014 03:20 PM)brainiac3397 Wrote:  SS is the social club. Whatever other membership members of the community decide to pursue is totally up to them. However, I personally don't think that a "shared" membership implies ownership of one group by a "primary"(aka ACS being a branch of SS, whereas being an affiliate would be more appropriate)

Would you prefer it that I address ACS being an affiliate instead as a branch? The terms are loosely similar, but you make a very good point.

At the end of the day everyone here just needs to understand that I am not speaking for everyone here on SS, and for most posts that I'm splitting (and that I even go into a bit of detail as to why) it's because I don't want this thread to devolve into another shitstorm and I'm sick of the passive-aggressive attacks aimed at myself and/or at others.

If there's going to be some shitstorms, I'd rather it be in the forum of the split thread's version and that can be discussed there. Besides, after I post that I split it and why I don't even bother going there since that forum is a Random forum v2.

Now I can see why most other forums adopt a rule that the discussion of forum moderation is against the rules... The Split Discussion forum is basically an epitome of a forum for users to be able to discuss the actions of forum assistants and mods.

[xcriteria]

(10-29-2014 12:58 PM)SirMarty Wrote:  Would you prefer it that I address ACS being an affiliate instead as a branch? The terms are loosely similar, but you make a very good point.

I think affiliate is a better term than branch, there, myself.

(10-29-2014 12:58 PM)SirMarty Wrote:  Now I can see why most other forums adopt a rule that the discussion of forum moderation is against the rules... The Split Discussion forum is basically an epitome of a forum for users to be able to discuss the actions of forum assistants and mods.

Yeah, that's why... but I think it's good to have that. It's kind of like why most schools don't allow questioning of anything. Understandable, but it doesn't make for the best kind of learning environment.

I'd prefer to discuss things and let people discuss things. The key is to avoid those discussions devolving into incomprehensible chaos and mud-slinging.

[GamerGurl]

(10-29-2014 01:52 PM)xcriteria Wrote:  

(10-29-2014 12:58 PM)SirMarty Wrote:  Would you prefer it that I address ACS being an affiliate instead as a branch? The terms are loosely similar, but you make a very good point.

I think affiliate is a better term than branch, there, myself.

(10-29-2014 12:58 PM)SirMarty Wrote:  Now I can see why most other forums adopt a rule that the discussion of forum moderation is against the rules... The Split Discussion forum is basically an epitome of a forum for users to be able to discuss the actions of forum assistants and mods.

Yeah, that's why... but I think it's good to have that. It's kind of like why most schools don't allow questioning of anything. Understandable, but it doesn't make for the best kind of learning environment.

I'd prefer to discuss things and let people discuss things. The key is to avoid those discussions devolving into incomprehensible chaos and mud-slinging.

I understand what you're trying to say, but I disagree with those pushing their "edgy 2.0" agenda on SS. If you're going to act like a troll or behave like an antagonistic hoohah, then I'm going to treat you like one. You will be moderated and your post(s) will be dealt with accordingly.

I don't apologize because as a forum assistant I vowed to clean up the mess the trolls from "The 2014 Rift" or whatever you want to call that event were causing. And don't think this is because I have an axe to grind against those with differing opinions, like members like Hansgrohe. Though I disagree when Hans gets quite nonconstructive and hostile when he disagrees with someone and he gives up when he can convince the other party, at least he's constructive, mature, respectful, and enthusiastic (at least until he gives up ) when he's debating. All him and I get into his heated debates and nothing more. He doesn't call me ignorant, or a douche, or claims I go on a power-trip or anything of the sort, and if I did truly have an axe to grind I would've splitted his posts long ago.

It's the people who hijack and derail threads, and use excess name-calling and add-on to all of that with their hostile attitudes that tick me off—and don't even get me started on the passive-aggressiveness atmosphere that's been throughout the rest of SS for some time now. I'm looking for constructive criticism and meaningful dialogue, not trolling and/or flaming behavior. And even if they want to prove a point, they think that that justifies being "edgy."

When you're interested in mature dialogue, I'm all ears. But as you relate the rule that doesn't agree with discussion of forum moderation to the discouragement of questioning school, the way some of our SS members are behaving is highly reminiscent of the immature, angsty, student bullies many school-adverse people are forced to be peered with. I may not be forced to be here, but SS is like a 2nd home to me and I'm appalled that this kind of atmosphere is becoming the new norm and that people don't care and all they're interested in doing is fostering an "edgy" subculture.

[xcriteria]

I agree, "If you're going to act like a troll or behave like an antagonistic hoohah" -- that's not what we need here.

That said, I think sometimes people can and do learn a different way to interact. If those who want to engage in constructive, mature, dialogue do more of it, and confront excessive name-calling and hostile attitudes with questions like "why?" a lot can come from it.

I think the atmosphere we need to cultivate to get out of the hostility/randomness focus is one of actually doing things to help support and transform people's situations -- not just the relative handful who are active on the forums, but the many more young people out there and stuck in school.

In general, the stuff I post doesn't get replies and prompt discussion... or it does, but only in other contexts (adults on FB and G+ who agree, etc.) I think the whole thing that led to the emergency of "edginess" on the forums was a sense of hopelessness and no way out in past years. But so much is changing... so many people realize the way school-as-usual works needs to change... or they are capable of realizing it with some explanation and quality stories from people stuck in it.

What can we do to focus on building things, connecting with people, and the like? Same question to the people who are derailing.

One of the big questions in education and society in general is, how can "immature, angsty, student bullies many school-adverse people" perhaps learn and grow and find a better way to be in the world?

That's why designing new learning environments, and finding better ways to facilitate meaningful learning experiences, including for people who don't like school-as-usual, is just as important as helping people make it out of forced school-as-usual.

Thoughts? Why is it so hard to get momentum going on that effort?

[SoulRiser]

Quote:the way some of our SS members are behaving is highly reminiscent of the immature, angsty, student bullies many school-adverse people are forced to be peered with.

This is the reason I'm not really here anymore.

[xcriteria]

Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.

I understand how the negativity, immaturity, and chaos is off-putting. But at the same time, it hasn't been that bad lately.. and the world of School Survival and surviving school exists beyond the forums and the rather small number of active people here... many of whom aren't even in school.

Of course, school or not, education and figuring out life continues beyond school, but surely we could all do more in a positive sense.

The front page survey alone shows regular traffic from people struggling with the familiar school issues, who never join the forums or chat. Many express appreciation of the site content and interest in getting involved somehow.

Meanwhile, productive conversations are gou on beyond the site itself, like on FB.

If we can spark more positive interest, I think it'll go a long way toward persuading even the perceived difficult people to also engage in productive, meaningful discussion.

There's a whole different way of being where people create, dream, explore, question, and share... so why can't we all pursue such an alternative to school-like conditions?

[GamerGurl]

Split posts to Split Discussions. Discuss it there:
http://forums.school-survival.net/forumd...php?fid=53

---

Finally made sense of some of the other forum options and fixed this thread. Suck it Sharpie, haha!

[Ami]

Did you get the Facebook page up yet? I'll "like" it with more vigor than I ever liked anything on that site.

[James Comey]

Also, I'd like to say this: disregard any of the bullshit I was saying earlier in the thread. I'm in support of abolishing compulsory schooling as well, at least for those with autism, etc. After seeing the BS going on in modern high schools, it needs to be done.

[Ky]

Let's revive this, to show solidarity with all who suffer under the current system and to promote the vastly superior alternatives. Compulsory education only helps those who currently don't have access to an alternative - never mind that this "help" is dubious, and the field of education would become saturated with more alternatives in the absence of the public school system as we know it. There are many that the system has hurt, myself included - no more.

[MurkScribe]

Quote:the way some of our SS members are behaving is highly reminiscent of the immature, angsty, student bullies many school-adverse people are forced to be peered with.

To be very honest with myself, the majority of the my posts are meant to talk and discuss about youth rights and a means for moving forward. But if someone makes a completely negative comment, I derail and become the immature "angsty teen". I would love to spread the word of the movement. But its so large and abstract and so many large issues on education. I often don't know how to fight the system individually.

[Trekkie_Aspie]

So, when you put out a fire, what should it be replaced with?

[xcriteria]

It's not even necessary to eliminate the system that's in place for alternatives to thrive. What's needed is for people to know about them, be inspired to help create and promote them, and for us all to get better at winning over parents

The facts are on our side: you don't need school to go to college or succeed otherwise in life, and substantial numbers of educators and parents realize school is doing a lot of damage to people, on top of being highly obsolete in the 21st century.

The North Star Teens / Liberated Learners model is a promising approach, and it's closely linked to helping parents see that their kids don't need traditionl school for sucess

If we promote that and similar approaches, and get more allies on board, we could help a lot of people opt out of school.

Thoughts on that?

[schoolsux]

(04-03-2015 04:53 AM)xcriteria Wrote:  It's not even necessary to eliminate the system that's in place for alternatives to thrive. What's needed is for people to know about them, be inspired to help create and promote them, and for us all to get better at winning over parents.

The facts are on our side: you don't need school to go to college or succeed otherwise in life, and substantial numbers of educators and parents realize school is doing a lot of damage to people, on top of being highly obsolete in the 21st century.

I agree, but the current public schooling system needs an overhaul. There will be many parents that will still believe that the current system is for the best no matter what. Personally, I think that school should not be compulsory. There are many reasonable alternatives out there (unschooling, homeschooling, etc.) and the current system makes it a hassle (in my home state of Ohio) to try those methods. It should be easier to exit out of public schooling.

[xcriteria]

I agree, the current system needs a major overhaul, and public schooling should be optional, and flexible... so you should be able to take what you benefit from (if anything) and opt out of the rest.

In fact, some states make it incredibly easy to homeschool/unschool, while others make it more of a hassle. Likewise, some states let homeschoolers participate in aspects of school like extracurriculars, while others leave that up to the discretion of often-unfriendly districts.

However, in the end, parents do get the decision of how to deal with you. More parents might go for alternatives if the laws were more flexible, but ultimately parents still need to be won over.

I think winning them over, in many cases, need not be as impossible as it seems, especially if they're presented with a viable, credible alternative that addresses their fears and uncertainty, as well as their hopes and dreams.

The more highly credible people who come to see the problems with school, and become vocal about the benefits of alternatives, the more parents will come around... and there are other things that can help convince parents, even if it takes time.

That's where amplifying the voices of school-averse students is critical to bringing about change. So many people don't understand the problems. Helping them to understand requires patience and persistence, not just writing them off as incapable of change.

I think we could all do more to change things, and efforts need to be made on multiple fronts, but one of the most important is for everyone to educate themselves about alternatives, allies, and success stories, as well as joining the broader conversations about changing things beyond these forums.

In fact, a guide to how to jump into that would be useful... I'll put one together.

[lisafromjackson]

(04-03-2015 09:26 AM)xcriteria Wrote:  I agree, the current system needs a major overhaul, and public schooling should be optional, and flexible... so you should be able to take what you benefit from (if anything) and opt out of the rest.

In fact, some states make it incredibly easy to homeschool/unschool, while others make it more of a hassle. Likewise, some states let homeschoolers participate in aspects of school like extracurriculars, while others leave that up to the discretion of often-unfriendly districts.

However, in the end, parents do get the decision of how to deal with you. More parents might go for alternatives if the laws were more flexible, but ultimately parents still need to be won over.

I think winning them over, in many cases, need not be as impossible as it seems, especially if they're presented with a viable, credible alternative that addresses their fears and uncertainty, as well as their hopes and dreams.

The more highly credible people who come to see the problems with school, and become vocal about the benefits of alternatives, the more parents will come around... and there are other things that can help convince parents, even if it takes time.

That's where amplifying the voices of school-averse students is critical to bringing about change. So many people don't understand the problems. Helping them to understand requires patience and persistence, not just writing them off as incapable of change.

I think we could all do more to change things, and efforts need to be made on multiple fronts, but one of the most important is for everyone to educate themselves about alternatives, allies, and success stories, as well as joining the broader conversations about changing things beyond these forums.

In fact, a guide to how to jump into that would be useful... I'll put one together.

You mean a guide to everything about alternatives and changing schools and everything?

[xcriteria]

Well sure, but more specifically I meant a guide to joining our conversations on FB and elsewhere, joining hangouts, contacting allies, and generally moving from anger and bitterness to making new friends and learning how to better communicate about all this.

[GamerGurl]

It's a shame this thread was unstickied, for whatever reason(s). I'll leave it how I found it only because I don't want to look like an instigator and repeat certain events that happened late last year.

But for the most part, I've decided to return here and to the Pretty Ugly Little Liars forums. I still have no PC. I got sidetracked along the way. I'll explain more in a follow-up thread going further into detail about my return, but I do sincerely want ACS to succeed and have SS be a catalyst for my organization's success.

[thesupremeanarchist]

(09-30-2014 10:11 PM)SoulRiser Wrote:  I like this. I just don't think you should say Abolish Compulsory Education in the title... It might confuse people. Rather say Abolish Compulsory Schooling.

Technically though, correct me if I am wrong, isn't Compulsory Education similar to Compulsory Schooling? Because Compulsory Schooling is a direct factor to Compulsory Education? And besides, don't you still learn every day, sometimes the same thing as taught at school with the Compulsory Education? Besides, I also thought Compulsory Education was made (State-side, anyways...) to make it so that the slav-, err, I mean students, would have to go to school? So, in all actuality, the Compulsory Education forces slav-, oh damn it, did it again! I mean students! Anyways, these laws force them to 'learn' (or memorize bullshit from the past and shoot down radical new ideas...) at an institution, otherwise know as school. (or sKKKool, IMO...)

If I'm wrong about anything here, it's because I'm just a little bit confused by the differences between Compulsory Schooling and Compulsory Education. But, either way, there's at least one thing in common; still forced.

[GamerGurl]

(06-27-2015 10:54 PM)thesupremeanarchist Wrote:  

(09-30-2014 10:11 PM)SoulRiser Wrote:  I like this. I just don't think you should say Abolish Compulsory Education in the title... It might confuse people. Rather say Abolish Compulsory Schooling.

Technically though, correct me if I am wrong, isn't Compulsory Education similar to Compulsory Schooling? Because Compulsory Schooling is a direct factor to Compulsory Education? And besides, don't you still learn every day, sometimes the same thing as taught at school with the Compulsory Education? Besides, I also thought Compulsory Education was made (State-side, anyways...) to make it so that the slav-, err, I mean students, would have to go to school? So, in all actuality, the Compulsory Education forces slav-, oh damn it, did it again! I mean students! Anyways, these laws force them to 'learn' (or memorize bullshit from the past and shoot down radical new ideas...) at an institution, otherwise know as school. (or sKKKool, IMO...)

If I'm wrong about anything here, it's because I'm just a little bit confused by the differences between Compulsory Schooling and Compulsory Education. But, either way, there's at least one thing in common; still forced.

Compulsory education and compulsory schooling are one and the same, so no, you're not incorrect. It IS actually known as compulsory education, which in basic terms means that by law, persons are required to be schooled for a period of time. Some countries only allow schools and other methods like homeschooling are illegal, Germany being a place as an example. Other countries allow this schooling to take place outside of school, and that's where alternatives such as homeschooling come into play. Some states in the US are so lax with homeschooling that you can easily be able to unschool—which is a subset of homeschooling in which a person can learn without any curriculum or anything of the sort at all.

One—and probably the only—difference is that we call it compulsory schooling because of the brainwashed masses that don't really do the kinds of reading and research and don't have the kinds of insights that SS has. They'd first see us saying "abolish compulsory EDUCATION" and the rest of our critical assessments would be ignored because the average and above average schooled/educated person would automatically think we're anti-education, namely anti-learning. However, that is not the case at all.

All we're for is for forced schooling and forced school attendance to be abolished and for learning—and ultimately living life—to be regulated by the persons themselves. If they're some 13-year-old kid who hates school and doesn't want to go anymore and would rather stay home and do what he or she is actually interested in, who are we to criticize how they live their life? Another kid who's 15, hates school, wants to be homeschooled by their parents don't agree, should be more than able to leave school for good and continue his academics in a home setting if they wish. It's about academics as well because if you're past the 5th or 6th or 7th grade level and all you wanna do is play video games and go online or go outside all day and play and academics aren't related to what you want to be doing in the present and the future, you shouldn't be forced to continue with schooling and academics.

[schoolsux]

Kids should be allowed to pursue their dreams. Even without school. However, there needs to be some schooling (by some, I mean teaching basic math and how to read and write). That schooling doesn't need to take 13 years. Maybe 4-5 years (and that's a little bit high), and the system would not be focused around "sit down, shut up and do your work".

[GamerGurl]

(11-08-2015 10:42 AM)schoolsux Wrote:  Kids should be allowed to pursue their dreams. Even without school. However, there needs to be some schooling (by some, I mean teaching basic math and how to read and write). That schooling doesn't need to take 13 years. Maybe 4-5 years (and that's a little bit high), and the system would not be focused around "sit down, shut up and do your work".

DoA and I have been able to compromise with ending the stage of compulsory schooling at around 6th grade. I feel like 5th grade may be a little too low, and 7th may be a little too high but I feel comfortable right smack in the middle. I remember being able to start thinking for myself and feeling capable of making my own decisions (feeling a bit more mature in those senses) after elementary school.

I also remember disliking school more after elementary school because the kids became even meanier and so did the teachers. Waking up early went away (middle schoolers go to school the latest but come back home the latest) but it seemed like everything else like the peers, teachers, subjects, etc. got worse to make up for that.

[schoolsux]

(11-08-2015 11:11 AM)SirMarty Wrote:  

(11-08-2015 10:42 AM)schoolsux Wrote:  Kids should be allowed to pursue their dreams. Even without school. However, there needs to be some schooling (by some, I mean teaching basic math and how to read and write). That schooling doesn't need to take 13 years. Maybe 4-5 years (and that's a little bit high), and the system would not be focused around "sit down, shut up and do your work".

DoA and I have been able to compromise with ending the stage of compulsory schooling at around 6th grade. I feel like 5th grade may be a little too low, and 7th may be a little too high but I feel comfortable right smack in the middle. I remember being able to start thinking for myself and feeling capable of making my own decisions (feeling a bit more mature in those senses) after elementary school.

I also remember disliking school more after elementary school because the kids became even meanier and so did the teachers. Waking up early went away (middle schoolers go to school the latest but come back home the latest) but it seemed like everything else like the peers, teachers, subjects, etc. got worse to make up for that.

That does make more sense (with the 6th grade ending of compulsory schooling) now I think about it. 7th, for certain, is too much. 3rd and 4th grade do make a little sense if one is really dedicated to a certain career path (e.g. a 4th grader really wants to be an astronaut), then they can learn stuff that will help them with being an astronaut. However, for those who aren't as certain, I think 6th grade is about right.

On the other paragraph: I also started disliking school after 6th grade (which is the intermediate school in my district). Not necessarily because of the kids being meaner (I was (and still am not) never really bullied, despite having autism and being overweight). People generally seem to like me (for the most part). It was because of the subjects being boring and the earlier start time (my district is different: classes start at 8:45 at the elementary/intermediate school and 8:00 at the middle/high school).

[GamerGurl]

For those of you who don't know, I started posting on twitter (@AbolishCS) so please follow us there and make #StudentsStrike trend. I also made a new instagram for our movement (@AbolishCSMovement) so please follow us there as well.

[James Comey]

How's the movement going anyway?

[GamerGurl]

(03-14-2016 08:17 AM)Hansgrohe Wrote:  How's the movement going anyway?

Not looking well at the moment, but I won't waiver. Twitter's our best hope to bring ACS and SS to the spotlight. Just going to keep constantly tweeting and retweeting.