Aretae looks at human nature and education, which leads me to comment:
I’m not quite sure what our modern public school system is supposed to do.I can understand a Prussian-style school, which instills discipline and teamwork, as a way to produce useful soldiers and factory workers — although I’d want my own child to go to the school for officers and managers.
I can understand a Sudbury Valley school, which emphasizes learning to learn, by following your own interests and becoming an expert in something — although I’d want my own child to build “character” by sometimes doing unpleasant work.
I can understand a school that’s just a glorified babysitter, which keeps kids out of trouble while their parents work productive jobs — although I wouldn’t want to waste my own child’s time and energy like that.
What I can’t understand is how our schools do nothing well. They don’t prepare kids for the work world. They don’t teach kids important abstract concepts. They don’t even entertain kids.