Give Children the Freedom to Choose Education

Americans value freedom. For children, freedom is a myth. From the age of five, and sometimes younger we have made it a law to attend school. Police enforce this; children are the ones who suffer.  

Who are we to force our ideals of what knowledge is on the younger generation? Look at how boring, arrogant with the idea that age breeds intelligence, our society has become. These children, who could have played kickball, soccer, or volunteered with friends full time, are forced to listen to some teacher lecture on about what they consider important. Teaching children about anthropology isn’t going to give the Native Americans their land back. Teaching about Rwanda isn’t going to undo the past, and it hasn't prevented the genocide at Darfur. We can examine the flaws in our culture, but when is teaching going to correct those flaws? After teaching morality for centuries, genocide, war and hate still exist, so it’s time to start making changes to a system that has, and will continue to fail.

We don't know what's important anymore than our children do. Time is precious, and teachers are wasting students’ time in an institution. Your tax money is funding this, rather than water for those without it. Almost all children are born with unbridled joy at facing the natural world. Leonard Da Vinci said that the natural world is the best education, and his teachers tried to take this away from him. Smartly, he studied the natural world anyway, and became one of the greatest artists in the world. 

If you want your children to get a career they can only get from learning in a monotonous structured environment, they have the right to choose education. Education is directly related to a higher salary. Some may ask, what kind of motivation is greed? Money at the expense of happiness, love and memories with friends is no bargain. So don't force any choice on your living legacy, let them choose for themselves. Children's freedom is invaluable, yet we choose not to value it.  

In all likelihood, with this law or absence of a law, we'll have fewer doctors, but no doctor can save a childhood wasted. Old people are fated to die. No lawyer can defend a K-12 sentence of boredom for a crime not committed. No scientist can grant us an additional minute to become unstuck in time and enjoy more childhood fun, excitement, and low aerodynamic stature. Who can justify an innocence lost in strict and sterile school environment? Forcing knowledge is not a way to create a loving ethical society. We are not doing what's best for our children; we are giving them to the care of another out of neglect. Knowledge from free natural experience of a child’s own making is what children should not only strive for, but also be able to have.   

We need fewer laws confining our children, and more volunteer opportunities for them to make the world a better place.  

Peace, love and happiness to all,

Karl Thomas Moore