Freedom to Learn

This post was adapted from something that I had previously written.

Despite its claims, the US is not a free country. The freedom to learn is a fundamental freedom that is non-existent in this country. Many people think that accessibility to our schools provides this freedom, but they are actually causing problems in this area. The schools are very strict when it comes to what you are allowed to learn and when.

When I was in school, I would get into trouble for learning in class. The reason for this is simple. The teachers’ jobs are to make sure that all of their students understand the subjects that they are teaching. If enough students are struggling, lessons are repeated. The students who are not struggling can get bored with the repetition. When this happens, they may find different ways to fill that boredom. Instead of redoing everything, they may resort to independent learning. The learning process can then get in the way of school work.

The ultimate freedom would allow students to take charge of their own educations. There is already a term for this. It is called unschooling. Without the requirements of the schools, unschooled students may not have that diploma. Since we are so insistent that everyone has to have a diploma, we openly discriminate against those who learn elsewhere. We have GED’s to bridge the gap, but GED’s are treated as inferior as diplomas. Personally, I don’t think that we should even push GED’s.