I think school should remain compulsory, but I do think parents have a duty to really drill compassion and kindness into their kids. Not just anti-bullying, but going out of your way to reach out to peers having issues. The whole "not my problem" rat race mentality among adults filters down to kids in a bad way.

It's how kids learn the function in society, I think it's very important for social development in general.

We didn't always need a high school education to get a decent job. Things change and we can't just wish to go back in time.

Do you think you'd do better with neither?

The pertinent question is what decent job you can get without a high school education. That's what the other commenter is arguing.

A high school education gets you a better job than someone without one. If you, yourself are admitting that the job market is harsh, why wouldn't you expect it to be even harsher on people with a fraction of the education that you have?

It gets you a much better job than someone without a high school education. That fits my definition for "decent" here.

How about you tell me which jobs, if any, you're gonna get without a high school education or GED?

I can guarantee you that the examples you just gave are of older people. We are talking about children, who otherwise would be continuing their education, dropping out and entering the workforce. That limits you to manual labor. Dominos isn't offering managerial positions to kids without a resume.

It's a stupid question. I already defined "decent" in this case as a better job than you're gonna get without a HS diploma.

Just look at the data. https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/data-on-display/education-still-pays.htm

parents have a duty to really drill compassion and kindness into their kids.

I agree with this in principle, very much so, but I think the idea of "drilling it" into kids is part of the problem with how we approach education and raising children in general. Kids are little sponges that pick up on everything their parents do, and take on a lot of the habits, mannerisms, and even dispositions of their parents. It's not that parents need to drill compassion into their kids; they need to practice it consistently in their interactions, while also explaining the importance of it.

Agreed!

He was expelled from school. He was working at Dollar Tree. He had relatively no life prospects from what I've read. These are the kinds of kids you don't want to slip between the cracks, the best way you do that is through by legally forcing kids to go to school.

Not to mention he's 19 years old, an orphan and exhibited signs of mental instability since at least middle school. I don't think bullying or being a social outcast is why people do these things; I think being unhinged and unstable is why these people are typically social outcasts.

I think there's a feedback loop. Being "unhinged" can be exacerbated by social factors even if it doesn't originate by them. The way they act out is environmentally conditioned too, I think. Maybe a good art teacher would have helped this kid pick up a paint brush instead of a gun, maybe. Just a thought.

Maybe a good art teacher would have helped this kid pick up a paint brush instead of a gun

Imagine if Cus never took Tyson under his wing. School should be about finding potential, not forcing it.

Amen

I was thinking of sports too.

I think fellow children (and, by proxy, their parents) share a bit of the burden too, honestly. Our culture is too dog-eat-dog for my tastes, people lack concepts of solidarity and comparison, instead they're eager to position themselves on the social ladder.

For sure. As much people on this sub rail against liberal/marxist indoctrination in the school system and especially post-secondary (and I agree it's a problem to an extent), there's a lack of actual focus on community. Allegiance is bred toward institutions and the state rather than solidarity with each other.

It is a culture problem, and not one I think can really be solved by having schools impose a solution in a top-down fashion. It has to start at the home.

It's beneficial because throwing someone with no employability and no social skills into the "real world" is a really bad idea.

Yes...

His mom is being charged? I just read that his mom died in November.

His foster mom and dad both died before this event happened. What are you talking about his mom being charged

My bad, I usually open a few tabs on here and read them one by one so I probably just had it opened before you edited.

The OP is asking about more than just this or any specific case. And you know that.

Also his mother died in November

It's a stupid question. I already defined "decent" in this case as a better job than you're gonna get without a HS diploma.

Just look at the data. https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2014/data-on-display/education-still-pays.htm