“Education is the best provision for old age” – Aristotle

“The foundation of every state is the education of its youth” – Diogenes Laertius

“Only the educated are free” – Epictetus

Ah, all these great quotes, by great men nonetheless, summing up the importance of education for our youth. Indeed, education is the foundation for the first 20 or so years of our lived, almost a quarter of our lives revolved around being education, with the education becoming progressively specific, especially if you go on to do college.

In the majority of countries, students have the bail-out option at 15\16, where compulsory education is no longer and it’s completley vocational form therein. Of course, the majority will go on to do the further years of vocational education and a majority of that will go to college.

In Ireland, all students have to study English, Maths and Irish, regardless (Irish is an exception if you’re outside of the country for a specific length of time). Because the system is out of 600 points, you have to do 3 other subjects of your choice (in reality, what your school offers you. Most do 4 or 5 to be on the safe side.

The blunt truth is most students are doing this optional education, but not having a say in it at all. The voting age is 18, and can’t run in an election until they’re 21. This means, regardless, students have no say in their education. We have to 3 subjects, which to some may be 300 of their 600 points. most colleges require passes in these subjects. Students will have the issue on their mind when they’re in school, sure and maybe in college, but it fads during and after college, and you then become concerned with Taxes, the Issues, etc.

Students are the ones getting the education, not the politicians, administrators and bureaucrats. Should a certain section of the syllabus be expanded? We have no voice in that matter, what they say goes. Should perhaps less focus be on Written French and more emphasis on Oral and Aural? Too bad, they call the shots.

It’s a similar case to the American Colonies, they were under British control, wanted representation, didn’t get it, so they rebelled, and became an Autonomous state (Don’t know where this is goign to fit in my analogy translation). Anyhow, we’re under the will of Education administrators. We want a voice, and should they not give us one, what should we do? Sit on our hands and say “Sure okay….”. We should march for our rights, and should that not be enough what is then next? of course, people will say “Drop out of school, you don’t have to do it”. Why didn’t the American colonists just move out of the colonies to England if they wanted representation?

16 year olds are presumed to have enough common sense for most things. Why then would it be hard for them to put their name on a card, send it out in the post, get a polling card back, and head to a polling station and tick a few boxes? It’s not that hard. The fact they feel the need to undermine teenagers and ‘represent’ them is BS. The truth of the matter is, they can make any change to students lives, as long as it doesn’t upset the parents.

See this is the thing. Instead of consulting students when making educational reforms, they go to parents to make sure they don’t bite the bullet. And the parents most of the time have no idea of the going ons in a school.

It’s the same as only negotiating Wages with Employers, workers would be mad and rightly so. The workers are the ones receiving the wage, and should ave a say, just as much as students are the ones receiving the education and should have a say on what should be taught. It’s their education, after all.

These grand plans are fine, but how to bring them to life?

1) Voting age reduced to 16. I know 16 year olds far more mature than 18 year olds that would vote.

2) Student interest groups set up to act in a similar fashion to Unions.

3) Abolishment of compulsory subjects in the curricula.

This should iron out any problems with education for the curricula for students preparing for college, arguably the most crucial period for any student. If the problems here are addressed and the students don’t have an active role in fixing it, the education system will always be 20-30 years behind.