The Case for Skipping School

So there was a story in our local newspaper the other day (yes, I still get the newspaper) about a high school kid who just graduated with a perfect K-12 attendance record — never missed one day of school. I won’t link to the article because I already feel bad enough that I’m going to give this kid any grief at all. It seems kind of unfair. Like inviting a Tea Party candidate to a debate and then picking on him for not knowing any facts (be nice — they just don’t know any better).

Anyway, this kid was hard core. He wouldn’t let his family take vacations that might cause him to be absent. He toughed it out and went to class when he was sick. Even went so far as to try and sleep at his desk if he was really, really ill. And where did all of this dedication get him? What fantastic college or job is he now moving onto after graduating with this distinction? That would be, um, none.

See — this is why I feel bad for bagging on the poor kid. He obviously set a goal, went for it, and completed it. That’s admirable. But did it get him anywhere? Not really. I guess this is where I see the difference between being smart and being stubborn. That old G.W. Bush phrase, “Stay the course,” comes to mind.

As far as I’m concerned, pushing your kid to have perfect attendance is akin to setting him up to become some poor sucker working for a company day-in and day-out and believing if he’s a loyal worker, he’ll be treated in-kind. Which might have been the case a few decades ago, but we all know that’s just crap now.

Now I’m not advocating that kids go around skipping school. School is clearly important. But I do think it’s silly to give up doing things that could be potentially more life-enriching because of some bizarre sense of adhering to a schedule or doing your duty.

If I thought for a minute that the boy with the perfect attendance actually learned more because he went every day, I’d be all for it. But I doubt he did. He probably missed out on some great family time, travel, and life experiences because he refused to skip any days. He probably spaced out a good number of times because he was sick and should’ve stayed home (something I’m sure the kids sitting next to him wished he would’ve done after he infected them with whatever he had). He probably missed all sorts of Senior Ditch Day shenanigans that can never be relived because he didn’t want to mess up his record.

This year, my kids skipped school to go on a road trip, attend an adoption ceremony, and visit the Legislature. We don’t keep them home because they’re tired or irritated with their teachers or having trouble with friends. But we do let them live. How this couldn’t possibly expand and enrich a person’s mind, I don’t know.  Why this isn’t encouraged is frankly a mystery to me.

I’m sure there’s someone who’ll disagree (there always is). But we’re just hoping by experiencing the world, our kids will be the ones creating and building the workplaces of the future, not the ones toiling in them.