public school system.

public school is the absolute biggest waste of time i have ever experienced in my life. not to say that private school isnt awaste of time either but i didnt go to a private school. first of all public schools teach kids nothing but non-sense, i seriously dont understand why i was taught some of the stuff i was taught i will never use the greater majority of my high school career anywhere out of high school. why isnt it that by the time you get into high school they are trying to help you sculpt out your talents and try o help you be what you want to be?

why do they teach mindless garbage that has no relevence to life at all? like the fine art of annotating poetry...sure poetry is beautiful and there is a message for us to discover from the poem, but what if my lifes dream was to become a scientist. How would annotating a poem help me with that.

Granted i didnt know what i wanted to be throughout my highschool career, but the school did not help me discover my lifes ambitions either. i think that schools should stop teaching their students the mindless garbage they call curriculum and help students discover their talents and amibitions. that way we know exactly what we want to do going into college and we wont have to waste time or money playing around with what we want to be. Am i wrong in wanting this?

Well personally I agree and disagree with you at the same time. I do not know what public school you went to but it all depends on that. For example I go to a very good public school in Maryland in one of the wealthiest counties (Howard County) and their public schools are great. Now of course I do have my share of "Why do we need to know this?" But some of the stuff was really helpful. For example, I personally hate math and I had to take Algebra II GT and I had no idea why we needed to know that, we were never going to have to graph out the function y=x^2 + b - the square root of 4. Though I hated some of my friends loved it.

My high school tries to make you know what you want by giving you a variety of classes to take. But of course all students must take the required classes, which some of them are pointless (art). They do this not to just waste your time though, they do this because they want to expose you to as many things as possible, to help you find your niche. At the start of some classes I thought they were going to be a waste of time, but as the year progressed I found that it was more enjoyable and not such a waste of time. At the beginning I didn't really like Biology but after the first quarter I was the best in my class and found myself helping others in my class.

The same thing happened to my friends. One of my friends took Geometry freshman year and hated it, he nearly failed. But when he took Algebra II he found it to be really easy. So in some cases the curriculum is helpful. With English and making you learn poetry, they don't do it because it would be useful later in life (though in some cases it really can). They do this to actually teach you more information, and of course their excuse "To make you more well-rounded". Personally I like poetry so I enjoyed doing it.



Well they actually try to help you find your talents and ambitions through the curriculum. Again to use my friends as examples, one of them didn't really know what he liked to do. So on an off chance he decided to take choir, Sophomore year and he found out that he really liked singing (and he currently made a band with some friends).

But in actuality it highly depends on your high school. My high school gives you many chances to find your talents and ambitions but yours might have not given you many choices and in that case it will be harder to find your talent.

i see where you are coming from but i still believe that they teach way more than they should. Why not let students play around with their own interests rather than forcing them to play around with required courses non of which they might have any interest in? Maybe freshman year stick to required courses but after that free game, you know?

While I was in highschool i felt the same way. When I got out a couple years later I wish I was still there. It's good to have some senseless waste of time in your life before you have to meet deadlines and be a corporate adult for the rest of your life.

You just have to do what you want with it and try to have some fun. You should never drop out of HS, just put up with the BS and go home and cool out with a reefer. Pass HS get that diploma then life is yours, and your still young.

Well there is a problem with that because (in my curriculum, not sure about yours) each year is radically different in what we learn. But thats the great part of it, because if you let students do whatever they want after freshman year then it would be a disaster. I know for a fact that most kids will choose the easiest possible classes. Most of them will not take math nor sciences unless they really do have a passion. What my school does is that freshman year is basically booked, you can't choose what classes you want, sophomore year, you can choose possibly 1-2 classes that you want, Junior year you can have 3-4 and senior year its 6 classes that you can choose (based on a 7 period school day). Many people during Junior and Senior year choose really easy classes because they really don't care as much, or classes that they enjoy. Now imagine that but for the last 3 years of HS. We would learn almost nothing if we take easy classes.

Personally I enjoy HS even with all the BS classes because whether I konw it or not it is always useful to learn new things. My friends thing they would never use geometry for the rest of their life, but in reality they use it every day without knowing, because they drive. Also many people hate chemistry because it is really hard and most of the people I talked to about Chem say the same thing, that they would never have taken it if it wasn't a requirement. But chem is essential even if your never going to use it again, because it is important to know how the world around you works (not to mention you also use chemistry every single day of your life).

Also what a good education does is it opens your eyes to everything around you. It will prevent you from being ignorant to the truth about the world in front of you (My personal belief).

Personally I feel that the schools need to teach the actual academic skills and understanding needed rather then the large amount of rote learning they do these days (at least in my country), how to find/ define various things say in English exams, write a short (around 1000 words) story using the following: Paragraphs, Correct Punctuation & Grammar...etc then analyse the story you wrote including any and all characters, the Metaphors, the Similes..etc. Instead we get things like:

"If you were made the director and had the ability to change Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo & Juliet provided the script stayed the same, the names as well. How would you change it to reflect the Scene in a different environment"

We only needed to do about 500 words each stating the changes of motives, the different time and/ or location and what clothing or items they would have"

Or in the case of Math, actually teach the skills needed to understand the possible variations of the equation types just so you can stand a better chance of being able to do the equations given in the exams and also any equations one might have to show in coursework. (I take a 1 year intensive Math course, that normally takes 2 years, so one would assume that we would stick to the core and learn the actual methods to solve various equations, but although we seem to do a fair bit of that it still is very noticeable that we waste half the lessons doing various Rote Learning style exercises.

In Science, we seem to be going forward in this country, we are no longer able to get a C in Science just by having (Science) Coursework done to an high standard English/ Grammar wise (Yes we used to be able to get a C in Science by having both pieces of Coursework done to high English standards, even if the entire Scientific and Math aspects of them were wrong/ bawked.)

That aside the only other two problems I see my countries Education system having are unfair numbers for certain teachers:

Teachers teaching Set 2 level (Average) 20 - 30 people, while Set 1 (Capable) teaching small groups 5 - 10 people, Set 3 (Below Average) teaching 15 - 25 and Set 4 (Potential Learning disabilities or Disruptive Students) teach all the trouble makers alongside the students who need the most help from staff due to their finding of the subject difficult due to such potential things as severe Dyscalcia/Dyslexia/ Suspected Moderate Learning issues or outright poor history with the subject (I.E. Individuals who fell behind their peers a long long time ago and never caught up)

The final issue in my opinion is that the staff sent to set 2 and 3 are usually the ones who don't know how to do proper teaching and usually would be better suited to a job in either street based Law enforcement or better yet as Jail wardens.

As a high school student currently I see a lot of my fellow students applying and for the most part succeeding in the high level classes, along with all these honors, AP, IB, etc. classes just because they are told that this is what colleges look for! Although I can't speak for them, I think they are just being bombarded with crap in high school just to get to college with no clue what they want to do. It seems like every type of school (elementary, junior high, and high school) is preparing everyone for the future but not giving us enough time to actually think what we want!


And in all honesty districts dont give a crap about the student, but just the overall scores of your tests that make them look good just so they can make some more money. The whole year we are taught to a standardized test and then after that (which is right now) the quality of education is totally up to the teacher which usually consists of slacking off and watching videos for 8 hours of my day which is a complete waste. Most of my learning is home just researching stuff I'm interested in (which is why I'm here) and I think thats the best education you can get, what's an education worth if you are being taught stuff you dont want to learn?? But we have no choice, and its sad.

so true! im also a high school student for a couple more weeks (thank god), they really dont car about us at all its all about the money they get for having high test scores few tardies no ditching, stuff like that and i feel like thats what dictates what they teach us whatever makes them more money. its disgusting but money does have a lot of influence over school policy and what they are teaching us.

Anyone remember this?

When I think back to all the CRAP I learned in High School, it's a wonder I can think at all.

The Simon in the Simon and Garfunkel hit song has as much meaning now as it did when I first heard it. I taught at Phoenix Union High School English and Vo Tec, many years ago. It is a thankless job is all I remember. I stayed in the education field and eventually went on the seminar circuit where the pay is, or was then $1,000 per day all expenses and per deim paid. Usually two weekends a month for 6-8 months a show season. It is a WORLD of Difference when people are paying $35.00 a ticket to listen to you speak for two hours where they WANT to learn, where in Schools, all they wanted to do party and screw off.

The thread creator is correct however and the kind of course study I see going on in Schools today is a JOKE.

The politics in the public School System is sickening and is accustomed to using cloak and dagger subterfuge and power plays where the cream would not rise to the top if it were carbonated. Most of the teachers I thought were un-qualified for the position. Many when you checked them out got their teaching degree from a diploma mill.

I would not give the public school system the time of day; it is as messed up as the rest of Government.

- Con





[edit on 8-5-2008 by Conspiriology]

This is why so many people are opting to homeschool their kids. My neice and sister are both homeschooling and their children are doing work well beyond what their grade level requires. Plus they have the internet so they can always research subjects that they find interesting.

I remember learning geometry in high school and wondering how it was going to help me in my adult life. Little did I know that I would end up being an aircraft mechanic. Geometry is a valuable asset for stuctural repair.

Exactly it seems as though anything government comes into contact with is almost instantly corrupted. Probably because they thow money around like its going out of style. they get paid for every student that is there on time so they enforce all sorts of policies for our own good...BS!!! its because every kid that decides they dont want to go to school on any given day they dont get money for them, and they spend their money very intelligently i can tell you, my school has years old books especially in the foreign language department (one of my favorite areas) the books are falling apart! Why dont we buy new ones? because we spent at least half a million dollars on a new football stadium for a team that won 2 games last years...2 F*****G GAMES! and we give them a new stadium instead of buying new spanish and french books and they even got rid of the japanese course because it was too costly to keep, but the class had ten course books for atleast fourty students, i was in that class and no its not exaggerated.

reply to post by caballero

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Old school books are nothing new. No pun intended. I graduated in 1971. I remember helping my little sister with her homework after I had graduated and yes her science book stated that "One day man may go to the moon."

Ahaha! thats pretty funny!

But i was simply showing the school does stupid stuff with its money like buys a new football stadium for an undeserving team and cancels a pretty popular class because they cant afford to keep it up when they hardly spent any money on it in the first place.

reply to post by caballero

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Yes, the school system is corrupt in so many different ways.

1. Teachers: I had some teachers who were nice and all, but most of them didn't even care. Most of the teachers are not deicated in giving speical help to any students. They are good and all, but they want it THEIR way done by THEIR time. Their productivity is despairing too, I can remember teachers who would take weeks to get tests back to us and they would grade us incorrectly.

Last time I looked at the corperate world, if you messed up, so got fired, or pay deducted. Our teachers have way to much sense of security, so they are not trying.

Most of the teachers/educators I have seen have taken upon their self to make their own school policy. For instance, I grew up in a well-to-do family and take many trips around the United States. School policy clearly stated that I had 2 days per day I was gone to do make-up work. But my math teacher, and science teacher claimed that if I knew ahead of time, I had to do it before I left, or it would be marked as a zero.

Now what up with teachers implementing their own policy?

My other teachers I had seen were hurtful and treated topics too lightly and erradictly, so much, I reported it to the administration. Guess What? Nothing Happened! Teachers have may to much arrogance for their job posistion, though I support them getting higher pay, if they are good, because we trust them with our children's education. (No offense to any educator out their.

2. Cirriculum:

School is a waste of time if the subect you are teaching has no point to it. Our cirriculum needs a heavy heavy upheaval, and 500% more state funding to focus teaching on skill and talents we want to learn. Such as, if you have a martial art talent, they have a martial art teacher, and you get credit for that class a so on. Public schools have wasted so many kids time, and that is why they are dropping out. School should be fun, and not a right, but a privilege.

That is why a high school degree isn't worth as much anymore, because the public school system is failing. Being prvileged enough to go to the top school in the 'smartest' state in the United States, I even feel their that it is failing.

3. Admisistration

This is what is squanering all of this money. For instance, in a recent year, my school just passed over 1 million dollar levy for a new baseball area/stadium complex. If our school cannot stop vandalism for happening, and from kids failing classes, they should not be wasting their time on sports.

Schools should impress the fact upon kids to value their education. Education is the greatest tool you will ever have. That is why I have set a personal goal of learning the most I can, while other friends of mine squander their time playing video games and fooling around.



Our public school system is a JOKE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. The United States is to focused on the comsumer market to care about children's education, all they care about is producing, perfect, little consumers, that will buy their products...

Education is the thing that is making our world fall apart, a rise in violence, and why we cannot solve our problems!

---Willie

reply to post by caballero

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The way you feel is how i felt at school, im 25 now, and done all my learning after i left school! even though i got very high grades i felt i was being taught in a way that is just all geared to passing exams? shouldnt learning be about exploring, creating, researching and spending time on things you enjoy or are interested in?...... i have a 7 yr old son who started by going to a spanish school (i used to live in spain) then when i returned to the uk, he went to school here and didnt enjoy it atall, the kids, the structure, everything..... i decided along with him that we could try homeschool, and ive not ever looked back or ever thought i wasnt doing the right thing..... we can spend however long we want on certain subjects, we dont have to follow any guidelines of any sort, hes not tested in anyway, if he doesnt understand something, then we can go back to it in 6months or so and try again..... i now have a happy, sociable, freethinking, creative little boy...... i have nothing against school but it just isnt right for some kids, simple as that.... i now wish i was homeschooled! i would have been in my element doing my own projects and research!
......2 things are needed to make a genius, a keen interest in something, and unlimited time!

Yea I know I read before how school is a waste of time so I just stopped going so ofton I am now 17 going on 18 and I wont go back next year to school. I also heard that they want you in school to take your mind away from whats really going on in the world illuminati,mind control etc...

I have gone to both public and private school. So either you get brainwashed by the government or you get brainwashed by religion.

This is exactly why I dropped out when I was 16 and got my GED. There is no point to most of the stuff you learn in HS. College sucks too though. This is also why I am going to college to become a PA. Might as well learn something useful while your getting brainwashed.

Most of the stuff you learn in high school may seem pointless if it's interpreted at face value.

Take algebra for example. Everyone, including myself, thought it to be pointless when we learning it. Looking back, it gives you a good grasp of logic and problem solving that can be used for pretty much anything.

History is another one. Everyone on this planet is entitled to a a good broad view of the time line of humanity. The whole learning from your mistakes thing.

So, while your there it usually seems a bit off and boring, but, for me at least, I'm glad I went.

My mom's a teacher, and she works very hard to keep things going. But she says the books she has to work from don't teach anything, like they're dog-training manuals.

She showed me in the index of my world history textbook how there are so many holes in the words they teach. There's no Honesty, truth-telling, integrity, liberty, consent of the governed, advise and consent, accountability -- and lots of other important concepts are simply not included in the text we use in class.

So I have to go to a Christian tutor, I call him, and he is showing me around the concepts that are missing, like scripture, covenant, sacrifice, holy laws, natural law and relative subjection.

Public school leaves out a lot that's important to know I guess. I don't see where I'm going to use any of this.

reply to post by sarcastic

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Sadly, public school is much more useful then any of the subjects you just mentioned. Religion is straight-forward brainwashing while public schools at least try to hide it, somewhat.

I went to a public school with over three thousand attendants, and the way I see it is you get out of it what you put in. Sure, you can mope through the course work in a lax manner, but the person asking questions and following up the materials is going to take away much more from the subjects. They are the kindling, but you are the fuel. Without schools in general, children would not have any desire for education - so they get you started, and hope that you take advantage of a great oppertunity.

Although, I wish I saw it this way when I was in high school. Now, twenty three, I do try to educate myself as much as possible these days. Knowledge really is power, it opens your eyes to possibilities and ideas you never dreamed possible before. Do you think the people working on the Mahattan Project thought they were going to need Applied Physics in High School? Probably not, but it gave them an idea of what they were good at or what they enjoyed, so they persued such a route in college.

Enjoy it while its free, get the most out of it you can because it gets quite expensive very soon.