[jelliclesfarm]

Right. That’s why unions make it worse. With the passage of time, more students due to increasing population but also higher pension burden.

This is like a tottering tower built on a semi solid foundation. It will topple because soon there is not enough money to educate but only to maintain those who have retired.(aka not productive in the economic system). It is highly irrational.

I wonder if public education is exactly what’s leading to inequalities and the need for equality is actually making us accept lowest common denominator.

Having classes on the basis of age is also problematic. I think children should be educated in groups with different age groups. Instead of curriculums, they can learn whatever they want and be guided to pursue what interests them most. The evaluations can be once in 3-5 years maybe? And they can streamed into groups according to their abilities. In a lot of ways, the pressure will be off kids and they can truly learn..to be the best in what interests them and where their abilities are their strengths.

[lazyasciiart]

Your comment begins with "that's why" but I can't see any relationship between it and what you are responding to. Can you explain the connection?

[jelliclesfarm]

Sorry. That was wrt to the latest lausd strike that is going to begin. That news item is what triggered this thought process for me and why I started this thread. I should have mentioned it.

[yesenadam]

public education is exactly what’s leading to inequalities

How do you figure that?

[jelliclesfarm]

I didn’t state that..I said that “I wonder if public education is exactly what’s leading to inequalities“

And I meant intellectual inequalities. Some skills need practice(music, for example)...others need an persistence and some others need aptitude. A public school in my district right now has to choose between building a swimming pool or pay teachers more wages to build up their last drawn salary which will be their lifetime pension when they retire as a defined benefit.

All students lose because they never find out where they excel because they have to receive uniform education that is affordable to all after redistribution of resources.

[yesenadam]

So (you wonder if) everyone getting the same education is leading to inequalities? Sorry, I really don't follow.

[jelliclesfarm]

Yes. That’s exactly what I mean. Example: If one has an aptitude for grade 11 in the subject of mathematics and grade 3 for the subject of history...and one is assigned to grade 5 learning 5th grade math and 5th grade history, then it’s a complete waste of education.

However(for the purpose of this thought experiment)...if one is in a class that has students from say..grade 5 to grade 12...and can learn whatever they want..then one can entirely skip history classes and focus only on math. Everyone learns what they want...instead of learning what someone else wants.