There is a deeper issue here, but I can't adequately explain the concept. It seems like public schooling is similar to food production on a national scale. People are free to pursue specialized professions because they don't have to hunt or gather food. With corporations employing much of our country, children no longer have to help with the family business, but they are only allowed one option to pass the time until they are of age to work, and that is going to school.

This is the same as if instead of everyone hunting and gathering for themselves, they were still required to work on a farm to produce food for everyone. Our population is far too large to support an entire nation of farmers. At least with employment, there are other options and a natural balance can occur. Requiring ALL children to remain in school until they are 18 is like trying to control a market. It is causing all kinds of disasters in society because we can not maintain the artificial market.

Instead of requiring kids to be in school, the employment age should be greatly reduced, and kids who don't do well in school because they don't want to be there, can go get a job some where instead. This will reduce class size, and students will be surrounded by other students who WANT to be there. This would reduce class size, reduce costs, reduce stress on teachers as they'd be able to teach students who are there because they want to be, as opposed to the baby sitting and lawsuit dodging that they do now.

Of course there would be a period of adjustment when young people learn how to take care of themselves, but we all know someone who was self sufficient since they were very young. My fiance lived in her own apartment when she was 14 years old, had a job, and wasn't the drain on society that you'd imagine the average 14 year-old would be if you told them they didn't have to go to school anymore.

I think it is ridiculous how everyone is pushed to go to college today. School just isn't for everyone. The societal pressure to have EVERYONE be educated is wrecking havoc on our economy.

*Right now would be a rough time to release a bunch of 13-16 year-olds into the job market, as we are low on jobs as it is, but eventually an equilibrium would be found.*