Misconception #8: The graduation rates are too low.

Over the years, I have been writing about misconceptions regarding the schooling process. The purpose of these posts is to explain why I disagree with various comments that I have heard people make about schooling. These are meant as personal thoughts rather than conclusive proof, and I will admit that I'm not always the best at explaining my thoughts. Regardless, I have decided that I should be willing to share these posts when I encounter someone online who makes an argument that I have already discussed.

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A supermajority of the population graduates high school, but we always insist that the graduation rate is too low. The raises an interesting question. What is the ideal graduation rate? I can give you a hint. It’s not 100%.

It seems like we are always trying to push the graduation rates higher. We act as though every single person to ever walk the face of the earth must become a product of our single rigid schooling system. In reality, NO students learn effectively within the schools. This is because their learning styles are highly variable and teaching approaches are not.

Even if you disagree with me regarding the schools’ inability to meet anybody’s needs, do you honestly believe that it’s in absolutely everybody’s best interest to dedicate their childhoods to the schools? We may look down on dropouts, but there are some people who are legitimately better off if they can maintain responsibility for their own educations rather than give up those responsibilities to their teachers. There are some people who would be better off seeking a healthy education rather than spending all their time doing schoolwork.