Get Away From 'The Path'

The other day I read an article by Wendy McElroy which included a story of a young woman in Texas arrested for committing truancy while her parents were going through a divorce.  The ten year effort to criminalize truancy in a growing number of states, is another way of forcing young people to follow ‘the path.’

Do well in middle school, work hard in high school and add extra curricular so you have an attractive application to university, work hard at university and get a degree, so that there will be jobs waiting for you when you finish.  This path is promoted by the President of the United States in his State of the Union Address to popular culture.  

There are however many exceptions to this rule. I know because I am one. As a youth I benefited from correspondence in getting my high school degree.  I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in the 7th grade, and while I received strong support from my family, I was not accepted in the public school environment.  When I asked my principal for a letter of recommendation to a camp, I was devastated to find that he had described Asperger’s not a simple condition, but as a severe mental handicap, as though he were amazed I came to school dressed every day.

I was able to escape a failing public school because, by having the choice of attending The Saskatchewan Government Correspondence School.  Because the correspondence path proved more difficult it took me to the age of 22 to get a degree. I took a break from learning and entered school at 24.  I am currently taking advantage of a distance program offered by Queen’s University in Kingston, ON while I work as a farmer in Saskatchewan.  I am able to get the same BA as I would get going to school while working to build my business.

 As such I am terribly distressed that when it comes to high school, it is no longer about making education free, or promoting education, but actually coercing descent. This use of force is far too often aimed at youth who have difficulty with the standard school system. This can be because of a mental condition, family problems like a divorce, or economic hardship. In many cases the students are on track to graduate. But, even if they aren't is it in anyone's best interest to ruin their lives with prison, or to treat their failure to attend school as a simple act of laziness. (Fuentes)

It may be good for young people to take a break from education, to find themselves through work, or hobby, to explore other options. I remember at summer camp when I was 17 a girl who had grown tired of high school and took a semester off.  After spending six months at A & W she decided that she did not want to spend the rest of her life selling burgers and so decided to finish her degree. It is good for young people to both take a break from the world of high school, and to see what the real world is actually like.

Many people are successful without finishing college or even high school, and there are more options in adult education than ever before. My uncle was the principal of an Indian school in Browning, MT, during the 1970’s.  He had a student who was frequently truant, as it turned out, this young man had been spending his time breaking horses, and competing in rodeos.  So my uncle sat this kid down and told him “you need an education, the days of making a living on a horse are past.” As it turned out my uncle was wrong, this man who later became his brother in law, had become a stunt rider for the movie industry, he traveled the world and organized stunts like a stampede of 500 horses from a coral.  Now I’m not saying that everyone can make a living on a horse but history is full of people who followed there interests and turned a passion or a hobby into something they could capitalize on.  

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are also excellent examples of people who followed their dreams instead of the path set out for them. They both began university, but realized it wouldn't help them with what they want to do. That doesn't mean education is not important, but often a person needs to know their goals so before they can know what education they need to achieve those goals.

Fortunately there are more options for Since Jones International offered the first accredited online courses in 1999, increasing number of schools are making use of the internet to make higher education available.  Not just for profits like the University of Phoenix, but higher end schools like Harvard Extension School, which is affiliated with Harvard University, and Queen's University as well as a growing number of state schools, are making use of the internet, to make classes available to more students.  Lets create a culture of education diversity.  

Equality does not mean everyone has the same access to an education, it means people are free to run their lives as they see fit without being bothered by planners.