Don't Stay in School

Summary

The script critiques the education system for prioritizing outdated or impractical knowledge over essential life skills. It highlights the lack of teaching on taxes, voting, human rights, financial literacy, and basic healthcare, while emphasizing how much time was spent on topics like Shakespeare, isotopes, and ancient history. The speaker laments being unprepared for real-world challenges, such as raising a child or managing finances, and argues that the system fails to equip students with practical tools needed for adulthood. The message calls for a reform in education, ensuring that students learn useful, life-changing skills.

Takeaways

• 📚 Traditional education often focuses on academic subjects like literature and science, but neglects practical life skills.
• 💼 The script criticizes the lack of education on financial literacy, such as budgeting and understanding how money works.
• 🏥 There's an emphasis on historical knowledge but a lack of current events and practical health education.
• 🗳️ The speaker feels unprepared to participate in the political process due to a lack of civic education.
• 🏡 The script points out that education doesn't teach essential life skills like home buying or understanding legal documents.
• 🧮 There's a focus on complex mathematical concepts but not on basic first aid or recognizing mental health issues.
• 🌐 The speaker laments the lack of multilingual education, suggesting that knowing multiple languages is beneficial.
• 📈 The script suggests that education prioritizes theoretical knowledge over practical skills that could improve one's life.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The speaker questions the effectiveness of parenting education and the responsibility of schools to prepare students for real-world challenges.
• 🌟 The script highlights a perceived lack of relevance in the curriculum, with a call for education to be more practical and life-oriented.
• 📢 The speaker uses strong language to advocate for a change in the education system to better prepare students for adult life.

Q & A

What was the speaker's complaint about their education?

The speaker complains that they were taught subjects like Shakespeare, isotopes, and the Old American West, but not practical life skills such as job hunting, financial management, or voting.

Why does the speaker feel their education was lacking in practical knowledge?

The speaker feels their education was lacking because they were not taught essential life skills such as personal finance, health care, legal rights, and parenting, which are crucial for adult life.

What historical facts did the speaker learn that they feel were not as important as practical skills?

The speaker learned about Henry VIII's wives and the quadratic equation, which they feel were not as important as learning about personal finance or first aid.

What is the speaker's opinion on the importance of knowing about the human body compared to knowing about rocks?

The speaker believes that knowing about the human body and health is more important than knowing about the types of rocks, as health directly affects one's well-being.

Why does the speaker feel that their knowledge of the quadratic equation is 'insane'?

The speaker finds it absurd that they were made to learn complex mathematical formulas like the quadratic equation but were not taught basic first aid or how to recognize mental health issues.

What does the speaker suggest should be taught instead of some of the subjects they learned?

The speaker suggests that schools should teach practical skills such as budgeting, understanding human rights, basic first aid, and recognizing mental health disorders instead of some of the academic subjects they were taught.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of knowing multiple languages?

The speaker believes that knowing multiple languages is important and criticizes their education for not teaching them more than one language, suggesting that it limits their global communication abilities.

What does the speaker imply about the political system and education?

The speaker implies that the political system is complex and that education should include teaching students about it so they can make informed decisions when voting.

Why does the speaker feel that their childhood was wasted?

The speaker feels their childhood was wasted because they were taught academic subjects that they consider less important than practical life skills that would better prepare them for adulthood.

What is the speaker's stance on the current educational system?

The speaker is critical of the current educational system, arguing that it focuses too much on academic knowledge and not enough on practical skills that are necessary for everyday life.

What action does the speaker plan to take regarding their dissatisfaction with education?

The speaker plans to share their experience and opinions on how they were educated, expressing their belief that the education system should not stay the same and needs to include more practical life skills.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Education Gaps in Practical Life Skills

This paragraph criticizes the education system for neglecting essential life skills. The speaker reflects on learning outdated or non-practical topics, such as frog dissection, Shakespeare, and isotopes, instead of valuable skills like getting a job or paying taxes. The speaker highlights the contrast between unnecessary knowledge (like mitochondria being the powerhouse of the cell) and important yet neglected topics like voting, health, and finances. The frustration is evident in the emphasis on wasted time learning things not relevant to adult life.

💸 Lacking Financial Literacy and Practical Knowledge

The speaker continues to express frustration with the lack of financial education, pointing out that they learned historical facts about Henry VIII and mathematical formulas like the quadratic equation, but never learned how to budget, trade stocks, or manage money effectively. The irony of being taught complex subjects over basic financial and life management skills is emphasized as 'insane.' The speaker laments that practical knowledge like child-rearing costs, first aid, and mental health awareness were overlooked.

🏡 Life-Saving Skills Overlooked for Theoretical Knowledge

Further criticizing the system, the speaker highlights how abstract concepts were prioritized over crucial life-saving information, such as recognizing mental health disorders or navigating the housing market. The emphasis is on how the lack of practical, everyday knowledge, like using mortgages or dealing with mental health, is deeply frustrating, especially when compared to the advanced yet irrelevant math they were taught.

🧠 The Hypocrisy of Prioritizing Useless Knowledge

This section emphasizes the hypocrisy in education, where students are taught ancient medical methods like the Hippocratic oath but are not provided with modern-day medical knowledge. The speaker humorously notes that they were never taught basic medicine for common ailments but were taught obsolete practices like using leeches. The critique extends to how real-world issues, like domestic abuse or mental health support, were overshadowed by mental math lessons.

👶 Parenting Lessons Missing from Education

The speaker delves into the gap in parenting education, arguing that while sex education emphasizes using condoms, there is no guidance on raising children or parenting itself. The speaker points out the irony in being told that parental failures are the issue, but never receiving education that could help solve that problem. This critique highlights the lack of preparation for real-life responsibilities.

🌍 Language and Political Illiteracy

Here, the speaker criticizes their limited language skills, comparing their monolingual education to the multilingualism of others. This leads into a broader point about being ill-equipped for civic engagement, where they express frustration at not understanding political systems or policies, despite being expected to vote at 18. This paragraph reflects a broader theme of being ill-prepared for adult responsibilities.

📚 A Call for Educational Reform

In the concluding section, the speaker makes a passionate plea for change in the education system. They express anger at having wasted years on learning irrelevant information and insist that practical, life-saving knowledge should be prioritized. The speaker advocates for education reform, calling for the removal of outdated content and emphasizing the importance of practical education that prepares students for real-world challenges.

Keywords

💡Education System

The video critiques the current education system for focusing on outdated or irrelevant subjects while neglecting essential life skills. The speaker highlights how they were taught topics like Shakespeare and the quadratic equation, but not how to get a job, manage taxes, or understand their rights. This concept is central to the video's message of frustration with an education system that doesn't prepare students for real-world challenges.

💡Life Skills

The speaker emphasizes that the education system fails to teach critical life skills such as how to pay taxes, vote, or manage finances. The absence of practical knowledge about budgeting, first aid, or raising children is a key point, suggesting that schools prioritize abstract concepts over day-to-day survival skills.

💡Financial Literacy

The lack of financial education is a recurring theme in the video. The speaker mentions that they were not taught how money works, how to budget, or how to trade stocks, which are essential skills for navigating adulthood. This is contrasted with the time spent learning subjects like geometry and the wavelengths of light, which seem less immediately applicable to life.

💡Mental Health

Mental health education is highlighted as a significant gap in the curriculum. The speaker points out that while they learned about abstract mathematical concepts, they were not taught how to recognize or respond to mental health issues like depression, or how to handle domestic abuse. This reflects a broader critique that schools prioritize academic knowledge over emotional and psychological well-being.

💡Human Rights

The speaker notes that they were never taught about their human rights, despite the existence of 30 fundamental rights. This illustrates the disconnect between what students are taught and the basic knowledge they need to function as informed citizens. The lack of education on human rights is framed as a critical failure of the system.

💡Political Education

A key point of frustration is the lack of political education. The speaker was expected to vote at 18 without being taught how the political system works or what policies they were voting on. This represents the broader theme of the video, which is that essential civic knowledge is not provided in schools, leaving young adults unprepared to engage in democracy.

💡Health Education

The speaker criticizes the focus on outdated or irrelevant health practices like the Hippocratic method while neglecting present-day health concerns. They express frustration that they were not taught basic first aid or how to prevent diseases, despite these being vital skills. This emphasizes the video's message that practical, life-saving information is often overlooked in favor of theoretical knowledge.

💡Quadratic Equation

The quadratic equation is used as a symbol for the kind of abstract, academic knowledge that the speaker feels is overemphasized in school. While the speaker was drilled on this mathematical concept, they were not taught practical skills like financial management or how to navigate healthcare. The equation is contrasted with the real-world issues that the speaker believes are more important.

💡Shakespeare

Shakespeare's works are mentioned as an example of the type of traditional literature that schools focus on, even though the speaker believes this knowledge is less useful than learning about taxes or voting. This reflects the video's broader argument that the curriculum prioritizes historical or cultural knowledge over contemporary, practical life skills.

💡Outdated Curriculum

Throughout the video, the speaker refers to the education system's outdated curriculum, which includes lessons on subjects like the American West, the Hippocratic method, and Henry VIII's wives. These examples illustrate the speaker's view that much of what is taught in school is no longer relevant to modern life, yet continues to be prioritized over practical education that could better prepare students for adulthood.

Highlights

Lack of practical life skills education in school curriculum

Emphasis on classical literature over financial literacy

Absence of civic education regarding voting

Health education neglected in favor of scientific concepts

Historical education prioritized over current events

Legal education is missing from the school system

Knowledge of historical figures' personal lives over financial advice

Geology taught over understanding of human rights

Financial education is overlooked in favor of cursive writing

Mathematical education focuses on abstract concepts rather than practical skills

First aid and health issues are not part of the curriculum

Mental health and domestic abuse are not discussed in schools

Ancient medical methods taught instead of modern medicines

Mental math is emphasized over practical life skills

Language education is limited to one language

Civic education is lacking, leading to uninformed voters

Critique of the educational system for not preparing students for real life

The call for change in the educational system to include practical life skills

Transcripts

I wasn’t taught how to get a job,

but I can remember dissecting a frog.

I wasn’t taught how to pay tax,

but I know loads about Shakespeare's classics!

I was never taught how to vote

they devoted that time to defining isotopes.

I wasn’t taught how to look after my health

but mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell!

Never spent a lesson on current events,

instead I studied The Old American West.

I was never taught what laws there are.

I was never taught what laws there are!!

Let me repeat, I was not taught the laws for the country I live in

But I know how Henry VIII killed his women!

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived

Glad that's in my head instead of financial advice!

I was shown the wavelengths of different hues of light,

but I was never taught my human rights

apparently there is 30! Do you know them? I don't.

Why the hell can't we both recite them by rote

I know igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rock.

Yet I don't know squat about trading stock

or how money works at all, where does it come from?

How does the thing that motivates the world function?

Not taught to budget and disperse my earnings,

I was too busy there rehearsing cursive!

Didn't learn how much it cost to raise a kid or what an affidavit is

but I spent days on what the quadratic equation is

negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac over 2a

That's insane, that's absolutely insane!

They made me learn that over basic first aid!

Or how to recognize the most deadly mental disorders,

or diseases with preventable causes

or how to buy a house with a mortgage - if I could afford it

‘cause abstract maths was deemed more important

than advice that would literally save thousands of lives

but it's cool, ‘cause now I could tell you if the number of unnecessary deaths caused by that choice was prime.

Never taught present day practical medicines

but I was told what the ancient hippocratic method is

"I've got a headache, the pain is ceaseless

what should I take?" umm... maybe try some leeches?

"Could we discuss domestic abuse and get the facts

or how to help my depressed friend with their mental state?"

Ummm... no but learn mental maths

because "You won't have a calculator with you every day!"

They say it's not the kids, the parents are the problem

Then if you taught the kids to parent that's the problem solved then!

All this advice about using a condom

but none for when you actually have a kid when you want one

I'm only fluent in this language, for serious?

The rest of the world speaks two, do you think I'm an idiot?

They chose the solar over the political system

So like a typical citizen now I don't know what I'm voting on

which policies exist, or how to make them change

(French)"Mais oui, je parle un peu de francais." (English)"But yes, I speak a little french."

So at 18, I was expected to elect a representative,

for a system I had never ever ever ever been presented with.

But I won't take it!

I'll tell everyone my childhood was wasted!

I'll share it everywhere how I was 'educated'.

And insist these pointless things Don't stay in school.