Education in America: a right or an opportunity?

When it comes to education, do you more consider it a right as an American to have one, or an opportunity/privileged?

Being able to learn without governmental interference is a right I'd say. Going to a good school is a "privilege." (And judging by the state of schools today, one you're probably better off waiving anyway. )

Basic education, like health care is not just an American right but a human one.

'Education' is a forced right by law until a certain age. Were it not illegal to not send kids to school, you have to wonder how many would actually even be going.

Supernova wrote:'Education' is a forced right by law until a certain age. Were it not illegal to not send kids to school, you have to wonder how many would actually even be going.

Although, at the same time, schools are so crappy that you have to wonder if it would really make a difference. If the kid puts in no effort, and the school puts in no effort, does it really matter?

There's a big issue with education in America right now. Yes, it should be mandatory up until a certain stage, but can somebody please fix this:

Local schools are funded by local taxes. So if you grow up in the ghetto, your school has NO chance of EVER improving itself.

Teachers are paid jack shit.

Colleges cost a RIDICULOUS amount of money, when they cost next to nothing in Europe. And after attending colleges in both Boston and Germany, I can say that the Germans kick our asses when it comes to education. You don't wanna put in the work? Fine, leave. You do? Great, you'll benefit. Boston, though... disaster.

(Oh!) Rob Petrie wrote:There's a big issue with education in America right now. Yes, it should be mandatory up until a certain stage, but can somebody please fix this:

Local schools are funded by local taxes. So if you grow up in the ghetto, your school has NO chance of EVER improving itself.
Teachers are paid jack shit.

Colleges cost a RIDICULOUS amount of money, when they cost next to nothing in Europe. And after attending colleges in both Boston and Germany, I can say that the Germans kick our asses when it comes to education. You don't wanna put in the work? Fine, leave. You do? Great, you'll benefit. Boston, though... disaster.

Not in my state. Decades ago, the state supreme court decreed that so called "Abbott districts" (the name of the case, Abbott v Burke) 31 essential poor/urban/minority school districts were to receive hundreds of millions of state aid (tax payer money) to acheive the constitutional mandate of a "thorough and efficient" education. It has been an abysmal failure and waste of money. Because of greed and corruption on the administrative level as well as the death grip that the industrial style teacher's union has on the system, you're right: "if you grow up in the ghetto, your school has NO chance of EVER improving itself"...but not for lack of funding!

It should be a right and it should be a priority for the American government to make that sure that everyone is properly educated.