Hypothetical proposal - not serious - but interesting...?

Question

What if, instead of graduation, students were given a test on reaching 18 which they must pass, or face euthanisation. The quality of our lives depend on our education, yet we do not seem to get this across to the young today. How different would it be if students knew that their lives REALLY depended on learning enough to contribute to society. Again, I'm not endorsing murder or euthansia, but question why students don't take it serious enough.

Answer 1

America has a long history of anti-intellectualism. In other countries - many of which we would term Third World - teachers and clergy are the most respected members of the community. Who gets respect in America? Sports figures and celebrities. (Just look at the range of questions on this site).

Then, too, we tend to put little value on what is provided free of charge.

I've worked as an educator but for the last five years I have been in mental health/social work. I'm currently working with at-risk teens, and frankly, I see little hope. This is an underclass whose values (or lack thereof) are perpetuated from one generation to the next. The kids have virtually NO aspirations and no interests beyond the opposite sex, and I - who have a thousand interests - have been unsuccessful as a role model. I wanted to change lives...but I'm increasingly persuaded that no change is possible.

I wish I had a comparable proposal that was less Draconian. In Great Britain, the only other educational system with which I am familiar, students' futures depend on the final cumulative exam at the end of high school. If their score qualifies them for a profession, their university tuition is paid for; if not, they have no expectation of advancement. Not workable here, for obvious reasons.

What you're proposing has a nasty name: eugenics. Some kids will never make the cut - but that doesn't mean that, despite their limitations, they can't be productive members of society. If you have a more realistic proposal, well, I'm all ears.

Answer 2

That's a really interesting question. I think that you are right in the fact that youth do not realize how important education will be to them all throughout their adult lives. Well, MOST youth. The problem is this: You can be a very intelligent person and still not contribute anything to society. There are exceptionally smart people out there who do NOTHING every day beyond sitting on their asses watching TV or playing on the computer. Intelligence is not enough to make a person a contributing member of society. They need to have drive. They need to understand WHY they need to contribute to society and they need to want to contribute based on that understanding.
How that particular attribute gets into a person could not be measured by a test.
I really like your question, though. It provokes a lot of thought and discusssion.

Answer 3

I think many kids, especially teenagers, simply think they know everything already, therefore they won't believe adults when they tell them how important education is. Many kids have to learn the hard way. Even if we told them their life depended on it, they probably wouldn't believe it. Although there are many brilliant students out there as well.

Answer 4

I agree that education is very important in someone's life and that it does not receive enough attention, but in the end, it's the student's decision whether or not to take it seriously. They may or may not completely understand the consequences of their choices, but they are able to make or ruin their own life.

Answer 5

But then you'll get people like me passing without ever trying. I went to one of the most difficult high schools in my state, slacked off the whole time, never studied, and I passed every test and got straight B's. So your system would fail.

Answer 6

That's pretty hardcore. Why not wait until they're 25?