Right after I quit college I magically met tons of people, many successful, some not, who didn't go to college or quit college and were absolutely ecstatic about it.
Most of the happily, healthfully successful people I know now, 10 years later, didn't go to college. It's not that not going to college automatically makes you successful or happy, just like going to college doesn't magically create financial success, intelligence or happiness. It's more a mindset, as well as some tactical and practical components.
So what should we gift or invest in for our children? What do we mean when we talk about a good education? Is 12+ years of the same stuff, leveled up, over and over again, really intelligence? Is it even education? Or is it monotonous, inefficient and passion-killing? Shouldn't we all, if we're really interested and capable of any given subject, be able to learn about those things, with our own effort, abilities, resources and leadership?
Should we be able to hire or trade with teachers we respect and choose for ourselves, or programs and opportunities we choose to learn from?
Maybe, instead of forcing or coercing children to go to college and guilting them into this absolute law that they must go to college or hell will freeze over. Maybe we should open up our minds and think of the many different ways our children could use our support and experience to do things they want to do, things they could learn from in ways compatible to their own ability to master skills and information.
Maybe we should allow, encourage health, exploration/travel, spirituality, volunteering, entrepreneurship, self-led projects. Maybe if our children are sick, we should encourage them and support them (even financially) on finding a serious health program to holistically address their issues, rather than going to school sick and occasionally having doctors appointments, going years with the same issues and just accepting ill health as a normality.
Maybe we should allow and encourage them to travel for extended periods of time, doing volunteer work with organizations like 7interchange.org, or mentor with teachers like Dr. Doug Graham, encourage them to do yoga teacher trainings or dance or acting or permaculture trainings.
If you or your children are interested in self-led education, by all means support it and if you want more support join here. That's what this website is all about, d.i.y education and work/careers. Rather you want to teach, learn or explore topics that aren't covered in the pre-designed schools or programs you or your children are taking, or you want support in creating and carrying out your own program. Let us know!
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