When it comes to school, being present and receiving an education are not always simultaneous. In this Education Week Commentary, Dennis Evans argues that compulsory schooling, forcing students to attend school, actually has very little to do with education. In reality, he claims, many high schoolers are so disengaged that they are virtually just dropouts who are still in school.
Why force kids to go to school? Instead, Evans recommends we turn compulsory schooling on its head after a certain grade. Not only would these non-engaged students not be required to come to school, they would not be allowed to come to school.
What do you think? Would barring disengaged students from the classroom create a better atmosphere for those students who do want to learn? Could compulsory education do more harm than good?
