Since about the time of my first insurrection (cough cough) when i could form logical thoughts, I have always viewed school as a waste of time. I could logically see that none of this would ever help me in the real world. Anyone else have this happen? Puberty hit and i could see what bullshit was going on. Been a domestic terrorist ever since.
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Absolutely. 30 years old here, and this is a bit of a sore subject for my "upbringing".
In high school, I was the only student that I ever saw questioning directly to teachers/administration as to why we were being tasked to complete such meaningless classes in the name of "you need these credits to graduate". I was actually in complete danger of graduating high school because I refused to play the game.
In several classes, the curriculum consisted of doing the homework overnight on a subject we had never covered (which was outlined in our textbooks) and then double checking the homework we did the night before (I didn't) during class the next day.
I remember signing up for "Pre-calculus", a math class that "will look great on your transcripts.", and I hated it so much that I stopped doing the homework. When I stopped the homework, I stopped learning the subject, because the classroom consisted of examining the homework. I had resigned myself to take the "F", so when test day came, I would put my name and date on the top of the paper and turn it in completely blank. This was bad news for my teacher, because it reflected poorly on his "performance" when being examined by the administration. (Hell, it also garnered a ton of giggles from the students.) But fuck that reflection bullshit though, I only took this class because y'all told me it would lead to good things and I was not going to maintain that illusion anymore.
In another class, we were tasked to write reports on any books we had read. Eight out of ten students were writing their reports on "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" books, which seem to be the low-hanging fruit of educational opportunity. We could read ANY book, and as long as your essays were well formatted and had a clear start/middle/finish, you get the A. I challenged myself to read some nonfiction (some kind of metaphysical science book, IIRC) and had a hard time reading the required page count (again, illogical requirement) and then distilling the ideas in the book into a 3 page essay.
I felt shunned for not following the path that the other students were being pushed through. I felt alone that so many others were just doing as they were told to and being rewarded for it. My parents obviously were concerned about my behavior, but they also could not give me a good reason why I was required to learn the bullshit.
The biggest issue to me, beyond the curricular hoops to jump through, was the incessant persuasion about starting university.
"So, where are you going to go to college?" Never a hesitation about whether I wanted to go to college, or whether that would be the best decision for me. "This class will look great on your college application, don't you want to show them you got an A?" Again, skipping the debate on these classes realistically teaching me anything pertaining to life beyond school.
The big kicker in hindsight, was that I was personally very gifted in the "trade" classes I elected in school. I got top of my class in "Shop", even though I was incorrectly placed (during a transition from another school district) into the higher-tier class, and was missing "pre-requisites". I also achieved straight A's in "Drafting" class for two years straight in year 11 and 12. AND YET no one had ever let escape from their mouths the words "Trade School". You know, the schools that teach you hands on skills and will not plunge you deep into debt like the 4 year universities will. I'm sure our school district was getting some form of kickbacks for every student they managed to graduate and send to university.
Years after school, I reunited with several high school buddies who conceded that they had no idea what they really wanted to do with their lives when they signed up for college, and they were not happy with their major/minor once they enrolled. Several stuck with it and are sequestered into a career that gives them no joy, and others dropped out and remained tens of thousands of dollars in debt (in their early 20's, no more) with nothing to show for it. I personally know plenty of 20 somethings with degrees, who are also in debt, who cannot find a career relating to their degrees or rewarding them well enough in salary to pay these enormous school loans (indebted servitude, anyone?).
I have pity for the kids in this situation today, and for those like me who understood what was being placed before them. I feel a sense of longing for what could have been in my life, if only the schools had been more honed to actual learning. It hurts to see that little has changed since then..
Anyway, I'm glad to see this post because I feel much less alone. I'm sure many of the people here can relate to and understand this situation. I feel confident that after Earth's people shake off the Cabal and unroot its influences on our education and school systems, the school curriculum as we know it will transform into something nearly unrecognizable from the state it is in today. Spiritually I get a sense of joy when I contemplate the heights we will rise to in that circumstance.
(For what it's worth, I couldn't dwell on this subject without imagining the student's in Pink Floyd's "The Wall" standing on the conveyor belts and dropping straight into the meat grinder.)
PEACE