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Comment by TeaDrunk | Hacker News Reader

Isn't the parent stating too many people are doing exactly what you're proposing, which is protesting that services are being provided to people who don't deserve it?

(Separating children into deserving and undeserving categories of educational attention seems that way to me...)

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Not separating into inherently deserving and undeserving, but those who desire a good education and those who do not. There are students in poor schools who push to become learned in spite of obstacles. Think Ben Carson for an example. And there are those who have tons of resources and opportunities but fail to use them, those who don't care about learning something. I knew quite a few of the former, people who would go to the library for extra study or to learn things after school. And I knew quite a few of the latter, who would go home and play video games or go out and drink, who didn't care about learning anything.

In today's school system, the resources go to those who do not desire an education. This is because of programs like "no child left behind", and because a higher graduation rate looks better. But I think we should make a normative judgement that those who do not make an effort to better themselves should receive no support from society. Put less money into summer schools for kids who fail, and put more money into before- and after-school tutoring. This will benefit those who put in the effort to the detriment of those who don't care, which is a good trade-off.

And this is how we get a permanent underclass. I don't disagree with the overall thought that we should spend effort on people who appreciate and care for that effort to be spent. I just think that in practice, the effects would be disastrous.

Yea, pay now (education) or pay later (prison / public assistance). You can't just say, well this person doesn't care or is hopeless so not my problem!

My argument is that all children inherently want to learn. All children desire a good education, defined as being in a supportive environment where their curiosities can be wholly quenched and allowed to thrive. There's no child that's born not giving a flying fuck about anything, only children who don't have that curiosity beaten out of them by the world. Labeling literally children as irredeemable only adds to their beating.

Why can't we have summer schools and before/after-school tutoring?

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