Can school be more trouble than it's worth?

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I am ASD. Star student in elementary school, nearly flunked out of high school, never went to college or even considered it.

I'm 28 now, but I remember clearly the trauma of my school days. It was the textbook case of someone living on the spectrum, no need to go into details. But I have come to believe that a child that doesn't want to go to school shouldn't be forced, especially if they have an ASD. It's possible to have a good career without a higher education-- difficult, but possible.

Why should someone be forced to be a part of an environment that is intensely traumatic?

One can make the argument that high school is a necessary experience for learning how to fit in with society, but that's not necessarily so. Many pressures that exist in high school don't exist in the work environment, or can be easily avoided.

Are there parents or educators out there who agree with me (I am neither).

I'm not a parent or an educator, but I agree. School was pretty unpleasant for me, and my learning styles were never accommodated for, so lessons were a waste of my time.

If I had children, I'd want to home educate them.

School is right for some people but not all.

Home schooling worked for me. I'm currently studying for a natural sciences degree.

I hate the argument that school is necessary for social development. I got almost no quality social interaction in high school. What interaction I did do consisted of getting mocked, on one occasion physically attacked, and told I should dumb down my language because words like 'obscure' were too smart sounding and not cool. Yes, really...

That's not socialization. That's learning to be an idiot.

I agree that one can have a reasonable career without a "higher education" but, in this day and age - this is getting more difficult.

I have a certificate (a one year career course) and I have a reasonably good job. I don't have a university degree as the idea of sitting through four years of university is not attractive to me. I like learning - but I am not very good at "being a student" for extended periods of time

There was actually a book published a few decades ago titled, "Careers for Women without College Degrees" I originally bought it for my mum (who does not have a high school diploma - something that was common back in the early 1960s). This book listed all kinds of jobs which required either a one year or less training course or on-the-job training.

This book is still interesting - but it is a little dated as many of these jobs now require higher education.

Aside from this - the original comment appeared to be more regarding the necessity of formal HIGH SCHOOL education (i.e. learning to socialize in the high school environment).

I think that a high school education is very important from a curriculum point of view. Knowledge of basic high school level math, English, history, geography and science will help someone better navigate the world around them. Just as important are critical thinking skills which are honed at high school (and more so at university).

Keep in mind, I said high school was important from a curriculum point of view. This can be accomplished by taking courses on-line, having home schooling or some other alternative school setting. I do not think that it is necessary to be in a high school where hundred (if not over a thousand) teens are thrown together in an institutional soup.

Socializing is important - but this can be accomplished in smaller interest groups, activities, sports outside of a high school.

Sooooooo

Is higher education important - Hell yes. Maybe 30 to 40 years ago when there were all those nice, unionized manufacturing and other factory jobs a person could have a reasonable living without a high school or college diploma. Those days are gone.

Is high school, as an institution, important - Hell no. Some people thrive in this environment, others not. Get the learning from other sources (including on-line or homeschooling). Learn to socialize at church (if one is religious), chess club, computer clubs, bowling leagues or whatever else people of similar age and interest enjoy.

To clarify: I think we are all in agreement that education should be compulsory to the level of high school graduation. The question is should children that are very uncomfortable in school be forced to go or should they be given the option of homeschooling. The current trend is toward the latter, which is a good thing. I'm from Connecticut, which has been rated the best state for homeschooling. It's just too bad it wasn't as commonly available when I was growing up. Obviously by the time someone reaches college age they are an adult, and will make the decision themselves whether or not to pursue higher education. They will have figured out on their own that the odds are stacked against them if they don't go on to school even if that wasn't instilled in them by their school or tutor.

I think that sometimes kids know what's better for them, more than adults do. Like when people get divorced, their children want them to stay together, and the parents are making no effort to try and save their relationship and instead make excuses to their kids that they know aren't true, and then the kids act out against what they rightfully feel is an injustice.

I agree although it's incredibly hard to get by as an adult without a university degree- let alone a high school diploma. I'm planning on homeschooling my kids, I think it's a better option and allows me to choose which kids they interact with and what and how they learn. I'm getting a degree in education now and I've seen way too many teachers whose philosophies I just don't agree with and who don't take the time to make sure all the students are getting along well and everyone is comfortable in the school environment. School was horrible for me and I was picked on a lot. I never completed school work because I didn't understand it and the teachers often expected certain things that just didn't make sense to me. I think that if I didn't attend school I wouldn't have nearly as many social and anxiety-related problems that I do now.

Forgive me if I'm following the thread wrong.

Adult education is easy. Pay the fee, attend class, get your grade.

Enjoying education is all about the school. High school was brutal to me, and I passed with a C average. College was a more nurturing (and mature) environment, and I easily made Dean's List most every semester (B+ to A- average). I loved learning, I just hated high school.

I've heard this argument too, and I wonder if I might be more social if I didn't have the bad experiences before high school. High school was OK for me. People left me alone for the most part when I got big, and the teachers really helped a lot with being flexible and sharing their interest in the coursework, which could not be shared with the other students.

I've been told that one of my problems is that I would use big words that others have trouble understanding, and that my dad also had trouble with employment because he'd use the textbook word for some car part, and the boss didn't like it (because maybe the boss didn't go to school?) Is it our fault that the others don't bother to learn their own first language? What am I supposed to do about that? Sometimes a novel or complicated idea can only be expressed with new words and phrases, and there are no other simpler words that can be used. It's like saying "dog" to someone who doesn't know what a dog is. What other word are you going to use?

If I was in my dad's situation, I would probably have a talk with my boss, and tell him "If you want me to use your words for different parts, that's fine, just as long as we agree in our understanding of what the parts are and how they're supposed to work. I don't care, it's only semantics, just as long as you're happy and the customer is happy. If you don't want me to call it an 'alternator' but instead call it 'that thar generator thingy', then that's what I'll call it!"

College is being the most frustrating fragment of my life and I see no termination soon. Of course, it is different for every person, and a lot of my issues is because my college seems to be run by ret*ds. You shall at least give it a try if you are interested in getting a career and see what happens.

Have you considered online education? I think it is viable in another countries.

Middle and high school were absolute nightmares for me and a complete waste of my time. College was much better because you don't have to socialize if you don't want to.

I learned better teaching myself than in a tradtional school setting. I remember wishing I was dead so I did not have to go to school and if I knew about sucide I would have attemped it as young as five. But when people told me I went to school to learn I thought they were lying. I felt I was being sent there to be punished but I could never figure out what I was supposed to be punished for. It didn't help that I wanted to be a vet and my parents were always telling me that was impossible because of my dyscalculia but were also telling me if I wanted to achieve my dreams I needed to go to school. Being a vet was my dream and unfortunalty my only one. I never understood having a "Plan B". If I wanted something bad enough I could do it but not if I was in such an emotionaly toxic enviroment and wishing I was dead. If I was not be a vet, then why did I even bother to go to school? If I did not want to be a vet today, I would just stop school and am even wondering if being a vet is even worth it and if I should just drop out of high school. People do not undertand it's either a vet or nothing at all. Becoming a vet is my special intrest and I don't listen to people anymore when they tell me I need to give it up. It just hurts because my own so called "family" isn't supportive. If they were family they would be supportive but until they are I refuse to refur to them as such. But if I found out I could never be a vet, I'd just drop out of high school and foucs on taking care of Pippin and when her time came go join the ALF or something.

Everything I learned I learned by the 8th grade. All school was for me was a place to go to buy marijuana and hang out with my friends. School was were I went to be mistreated and bullied. I would have been better off quitting at 16. They tell you that you need a high school diploma to get a job which is BS. All the jobs I ever got were loaded with high school dropouts and those people made as much as me or better. I would go to college but I have a feeling I would not be able to consentrate in college setting. It would be a tremendus waste of money when I fail or do not get descent grades. My issues with memory loss would also hold me back I would have to video tape lectures and watch them multiple times to get the information to stick,